1980 Map of Poncha Pass

About this map

Poncha Pass serves as the central geographic anchor for this 1980 survey of the border between Chaffee and Saguache counties. The landscape is defined by the high-elevation drainage divide between Poncha Creek, flowing north, and San Luis Creek, winding south toward the San Luis Valley. This map provides a detailed view of the regional transportation history, most notably the winding path of the Old Railroad Grade and the Marshall Pass Road as they navigate the steep grades near Mearx Junction. Evidence of the area's resource extraction is scattered throughout the terrain, with numerous prospects and quarries dotting the slopes of Poncha Mountain and Cleveland Mountain. The intersection of the San Isabel National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest highlights the managed nature of this mountainous corridor during the late twentieth century.