1964 Map of Pagosa Peak

About this map

Pagosa Peak dominates this high-altitude landscape within the San Juan National Forest as it appeared in the mid-1960s. The terrain is defined by a dense network of mountain hydrology, from the Piedra River and its cascading Piedra Falls to high alpine basins containing Upper Fourmile Lake and Turkey Creek Lake. Human presence is concentrated around remote outposts like Minor Notch Ranch and Cade Ranch, reflecting the area's legacy of high-country ranching and resource management. The map documents early irrigation efforts through features like the East Fork Piedra Ditch and Dutton Ditch, which divert water across complex ridges. Travel through these summits relied on established routes such as the Fourmile Stock Trail and the Rainbow Trail (Pack), tracing the same paths used by generations of livestock drivers and forest rangers before the era of modern road development.