2011 Map of Mountain View Crest

About this map

Mountain View Crest rises as a prominent high-altitude divide in this 2011 survey, separating complex drainages that feed the Animas River and Florida River. The landscape is defined by massive alpine plateaus including Tank Mesa, Stag Mesa, and Lime Mesa, which are dissected by steep-walled features like Crazy Women Gulch and Virginia Gulch. Evidence of the region’s mineral history is preserved in several specific mining sites at the upper reaches of these watersheds, notably the Homestake Tunnel Mine, Mastodon Mine, and Brooklyn Mine located near Needle Creek. Human engineering in this high-country environment is further represented by the Henderson Lake Dam, which regulates Henderson Lake at the confluence of Pole Creek and Canyon Creek. A series of high-altitude basins, such as New York Basin, and small alpine bodies like Emerald Lake and Dollar Lake, illustrate the glaciated character of this part of the San Juan Mountains.