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1964 Map of Lake San Cristobal

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Lake San Cristobal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Lake San Cristobal dominates this high-altitude landscape where the Continental Divide winds through the southern reaches of the San Juan Mountains. The map highlights the geologic instability of the region, most notably the Slumgullion Slide near Slumgullion Creek, a massive earthflow that historically dammed the Lake Fork Gunnison River to create the lake itself. This mid-1960s survey captures a wilderness on the cusp of modern recreation, showing an established Campground and a remote Landing Strip alongside older markers of resource extraction.

Traces of early industrial activity appear at a Mine in Wager Gulch and a Gravel Pit along the riverbanks. The boundary between the Gunnison National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest follows the jagged ridgelines near Red Mountain and Hill Seventyone, while a lone Cem near the river provides a quiet link to the area's early residents. A network of Jeep Trails and Pack Trails provides the only access into the high basins of Sawmill Park and Rambouillet Park.