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1963 Map of La Veta Pass

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of La Veta Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

Sangre de Cristo Mountains dominate this high-altitude landscape, where several mountain passes converge at the border of Huerfano and Costilla counties. The transport corridor is notably dense for such high terrain, centering on La Veta Pass and North La Veta Pass. The alignment of the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad provides a clear study in mountain engineering, featuring the dramatic curve at Muleshoe and the steep ascent toward Windy Point.

Evidence of earlier transit systems is found in the Wagon Toll Road following Middle Creek and the Grant Boundary Trail, illustrating how early pioneers and industry navigated the Mount Mestas massif. Smaller-scale resource extraction is indicated by scattered mines and a gravel pit, while landforms like Dump Mountain and Rough Mountain rise above the drainage systems of Abeyta Creek and Yellowstone Creek.