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1961 Map of Oh-Be-Joyful

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Oh-Be-Joyful
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

Elkton and Pittsburg represent the mining heritage of the West Elk Mountains as it stood in the early 1960s. This survey of the high-altitude terrain north of Crested Butte reveals a landscape defined by industrial extraction and extreme topography, where the Rugged Anthracite Range meets the drainages of the East River and Anthracite Creek. Evidence of prospecting is scattered across nearly every basin and gulch, from the Paradise Mine beneath Cinnamon Mountain to the Peanut Mine near the southern boundary.

The presence of an old railroad grade following the Slate River past Nicholson Lake illustrates the former transportation network required to move ore from these remote sites. While much of the area is protected within the White River National Forest and Gunnison National Forest, the map also identifies localized landmarks such as the Gothic Picnic Ground and the TV Tower on Mount Emmons, showing the transition toward recreational and utility use of the land.