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1955 Map of Ophir

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Ophir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Ophir and the surrounding high-altitude mining district of San Miguel County are frozen in time in this mid-century survey. The landscape is defined by the heavy footprint of the late 19th-century silver boom, including the engineering feat of the Ophir Loop and the winding route of the Rio Grande Southern RR. Dozens of extractive operations such as the Gold King Mine, Suffolk Mine, and Carbonero Mine are located across the slopes of Silver Mountain, while the small settlement at Ophir remains served by the Ophir Sch.

The map details the divide between the Uncompahgre National Forest and the San Juan National Forest, punctuated by dramatic peaks like Vermilion Peak and Grizzly Peak. High-altitude basins like Ice Lake Basin and Paradise Basin feed the Howard Fork and Mineral Creek drainage systems. Numerous trails and early jeep tracks provide access to the rugged interior, connecting remote sites like the Bandora Mine and the waters of Clear Lake.