Loading map...

1958 Map of Portal

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Portal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Coronado National Forest dominates this mid-century portrait of the Chiricahua Mountains, where the high desert meets steep canyon walls along the Arizona-New Mexico border. Centered on the gateway community of Portal, the landscape is defined by the dramatic descent of Cave Creek Canyon toward the Animas Valley. The map detail reveals a specialized mountain economy of the late 1950s, highlighting the Southwestern Research Station and the Portal Ranger Sta.

For genealogists and local historians, the sheet preserves the locations of early mining-era remnants and rural outposts. The old townsite of Galeyville and the settlement of Paradise stand near the Paradise Cemetery, while to the east, the Southern Pacific tracks run through Rodeo. From high peaks like Silver Peak and Portal Peak to the numerous designated forest camps like Herb Martyr Forest Camp, this survey documents a period when these canyons were well-established as sites for both scientific study and backcountry recreation.