1980 Map of Poncha Pass

About this map

Poncha Pass serves as the central geographic divide on this 1980s sheet, marking the high-altitude boundary between the San Isabel National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest. The map documents a rugged transit corridor where an Old Railroad Grade winds through the mountains alongside Poncha Creek, tracing the historic path of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. This route links the northern settlement of Poncha Hot Springs with southern drainage toward the San Luis Valley. Evidence of early resource extraction is scattered across the terrain, from the Quarries near Camp Rock to numerous unnamed Prospects and a Mine tucked into the slopes of Poncha Mountain. The convergence of Saguache, Chaffee, and Fremont counties near Methodist Mountain further emphasizes the map's value for defining regional administrative and historical property lines.