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2022 Map of McCarthy Gulch

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of McCarthy Gulch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

Piceance Ck and its complex network of seasonal drainages define this high-country landscape along the border of Rio Blanco and Garfield counties. The terrain is characterized by a dense system of deeply incised ravines including Gordon Gulch, Story Gulch, and the namesake McCarthy Gulch. This 2022 survey captures the area's transition from traditional land use toward modern infrastructure, with Co HWY 249 and Co RD 5 providing access through the otherwise difficult topography.

Water management and natural drainage patterns are central to the region's geography, visible in the branching paths of the West Fork Story Gulch and East Fork Story Gulch. Other notable features such as Bear Cabin Gulch and Corral Gulch hint at the historical ranching and livestock movement that once dominated these canyons. The map serves as a precise record of the physical landforms and surviving rural routes in this part of the Colorado Plateau.