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1961 Map of Pearl Pass

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Pearl Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Elk Mountains form a high-altitude divide in the early 1960s, marking the boundary between the White River National Forest and Gunnison National Forest. This high-country survey captures the primitive transportation network of the era, defined by a sparse system of Jeep Trails and Pack Trails that provided the only access to remote alpine basins. High peaks like Pearl Mountain, Star Peak, and Taylor Peak tower over the landscape, while the presence of mines and prospects near Carbonate Hill and Eyre Basin indicates a legacy of mineral exploration above the timberline.

Water originates in these heights, feeding the drainages of Middle Brush Creek, Cement Creek, and the Taylor River. The map meticulously tracks the Pitkin Co Gunnison Co boundary as it snakes along the high ridges. For historians and researchers, the document preserves the specific placement of isolated high-altitude landmarks such as Timbered Hill and Hunters Hill before more modern infrastructure or recreation altered the primitive character of the backcountry.