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2013 Map of Mirage

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of Mirage
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

The Mirage (historical) townsite sits at the edge of an intricate irrigation network in the northern San Luis Valley. This landscape is defined by the transition from the high peaks of the Rio Grande National Forest down to the agricultural flats. The distribution of water is central to the area's history, evidenced by an extensive system of named channels including the Hoffman Niedhardt Ditch, Wales Shellabarger Ditch Number 1, and the Shellabarger Ditch Number 2. These structures reflect the complex water rights and engineering required to sustain life in this arid basin.

Mountain access is traced through the Wild Cherry Trail 748 and Rito Alto Trail 745, which climb toward Marshall Gulch and the high forest boundary. For those researching family history in Saguache County, the Mirage Cem remains a primary landmark of the earlier settlement. The map also records numerous seasonal watercourses like Wild Cherry Cr and San Isabel Cr as they emerge from the canyon mouths to feed the valley floor.