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1963 Map of Monument Hill

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Monument Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Neglected Mine and the Mary S Mine sit among the high drainages of the San Juan National Forest in this 1963 survey. The landscape is defined by deep incisions from South Fork Hermosa Creek and Clear Creek, creating a network of gulches such as Mingral Gulch and Stambull Gulch. Mining activity is clustered near Monument Hill, while the higher elevations are marked by landmarks like Sheephead Basin and Sliderock Mountain.

Evidence of historical access is found along the Pack Trail winding through the northern canyons. To the south, the terrain levels into Wild Oat Mesa and the curious Cemetery Flats near Cape Horn. The drainage pattern reflects a complex hydrologic system where Smith Creek and Castle Creek feed the larger Hermosa watershed, illustrating the remote industrial and geographic character of La Plata County during the mid-twentieth century.