1971 Map of McCarthy Gulch

About this map

Naval Oil Shale Reserve land dominates the southeastern portion of this terrain, marking a period of intense federal interest in energy resources in western Colorado. The map records a landscape defined by a complex network of drainage systems, including McCarthy Gulch, Schutte Gulch, and Harrison Gulch, which carve through the high plateaus. The boundary between Rio Blanco Co and Garfield Co bisects the sheet, indicating the administrative divide in this resource-rich region. Dozens of labels for Prospects are scattered across the slopes, particularly near East Fork and West Fork Piceance Creek, signaling active mineral exploration. Transportation in the early 1970s was limited to a rudimentary system of Jeep Trails that followed the ridgelines and gulch floors, connecting remote drill holes and survey points across the Middle Fork Parachute Creek.