Loading map...

2011 Map of Placita

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Placita
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Coal Basin and the high mountain drainages surrounding the Crystal River define this part of Pitkin County in 2011. The map documents a specialized industrial landscape, showing numerous named mining sites including the Coal Basin Mine, Dutch Creek Mine, and L.S. Wood Mine situated along the steep slopes of Huntsman Ridge. Transportation through these high elevations is concentrated along Coal Basin Rd and the Placita River Road, which skirts the settlement at Placita.

Natural landmarks like McClure Pass and Hayes Creek Falls provide orientation points within the network of creeks and gulches. The drainage patterns of Drift Creek, Dutch Creek, and Bear Creek illustrate the challenging geography that the mining operations at the Bear Creek Mine and Galena Bell Mine navigated. This edition provides an important record of resource extraction sites and access routes as they existed in the early 21st century.