2019 Map of Mount Zirkel

About this map

Mt Zirkel and the jagged heights of the Sawtooth Range anchor this high-altitude landscape where the Park Range meets the southern end of the Sierra Madre. The terrain is a complex of glacial cirques and alpine basins, including the notable Mica Basin and Fryingpan Basin, punctuated by numerous high-country water bodies like Lake Katherine and Gold Creek Lake. The area's status as a critical drainage divide is evident where the Continental Divide winds through the eastern portion of the sheet. Modern wilderness travel is traced through several significant corridors, including the Wyoming Trail and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, following routes that likely mirror older passages such as the Ute Pass Trail. This 2019 survey documents the intricate hydrography of the Routt National Forest, from the headwaters of the Middle Fork Elk River to the remote Bear Lakes.