2016 Map of Little Soap Park

About this map

Gunnison National Forest dominates this landscape, where the high mesa country of Soap Mesa and Dillon Mesa meets the northern reaches of the Curecanti National Recreation Area. The terrain is deeply incised by a network of gulches and creeks, including Mill Gulch and Curecanti Cr, which drain toward the vast Blue Mesa Reservoir in the south. This 2016 survey illustrates a high-altitude wilderness defined by its drainage patterns and back-country access. Historic routes like the Curecanti Trail, Cow Creek Trail, and Coal Mesa Trail provide the primary means of navigating the steep transitions between parks like Little Soap Park and the prominent heights of Pearson Point. The area around Oregon Gulch shows the managed boundary between national forest lands and recreation zones, reflecting the modern conservation and hydraulic character of the Gunnison River basin.