Loading map...

1968 Map of Montrose

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Montrose
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Gunnison River and its major tributaries carve a complex landscape of deep canyons and high plateaus across this section of the Western Slope. Centered on the hub of Montrose, the map reveals a mid-century network of small agricultural and mining communities like Paonia, Hotchkiss, and the high-alpine Lake City. The engineering of the era is evident in the presence of the Blue Mesa Reservoir, part of the larger water management system on the river.

Transit through these high mountain passes is defined by the Denver and Rio Grande Western RR and the rugged topography of the Sawatch Mountains and West Elk Mountains. From the depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument to the peaks of Mt Harvard and Uncompahgre Peak, this survey captures the intersection of early tourism, ranching, and the primary resource economies of the Colorado Rockies.