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2022 Map of Red Canyon

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Red Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

The Dolores River meanders through a landscape of high mesas and deep drainages in this remote section of Montrose County. The terrain is defined by dramatic elevation changes, where flat-topped features like Blue Mesa, Lone Tree Mesa, and Moon Mesa overlook deeply incised cuts such as Moon Canyon and Red Canyon. The confluence where the San Miguel River joins the Dolores is a focal point of the local hydrology, surrounded by named expanses like Atkinson Mesa and Carpenter Flats.

A complex network of primitive roads and trails, including the Q12 Road Trl and R13 Road Trl, provides the primary access across these high plateaus. These routes often follow the contours of the land, navigating around steep breaks like Beehive Canyon and across the Horse Mesa plateau. The map captures the specialized land use of the Colorado western slope, where traditional grazing and resource access depend on these established mesa-top corridors.