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1955 Map of Mount Zirkel

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Mount Zirkel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Slavonia marks the upper reaches of the Elk River in the heart of the Routt National Forest, serving as a central point for wilderness travel mid-century. The landscape is defined by the high peaks of the Park Range and the Sierra Madre, separated by the Continental Divide as it winds through Red Dirt Pass and Ute Pass. This 1950s survey documents a network of high-altitude water bodies, including Mica Lake within the Mica Basin, Gilpin Lake, and Three Island Lake, all feeding the river system that flows toward the valley floors.

The topography transitions from the dramatic verticality of Mount Zirkel and the Sawtooth Range to the complex drainages of North Fork Elk River and South Fork Elk River. The map provides a detailed record of established wilderness trails used before modern recreation infrastructure, tracing paths through Fryingpan Basin and along Lost Dog Creek. Notable summits like Big Agnes Mountain and Buck Mountain dominate the skyline, overlooking a terrain where water and granite dictate the paths of travel.