2001 Map of Little Soap Park

About this map

Gunnison National Forest dominates this landscape, showing a complex network of canyons and mesas at the start of the 21st century. The map centers on the high-elevation basin of Little Soap Park, where Little Soap Creek begins its descent through the drainage systems of Lion Gulch and Cottonwood Gulch. To the south, the terrain drops toward the Blue Mesa Reservoir within the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where a Boat Ramp marks the interface between the high desert plateaus and the managed waterway. Industrial history is etched into the topography at the Uranium Mine located near Commissary Gulch. The map also delineates the strict management boundaries between the forest and the West Elk Wilderness, illustrating how land use is partitioned between recreation, preservation, and resource extraction near prominent landforms like Pearson Point and Soap Mesa.