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1993 Map of Riley Canyon

Name: 1993 Topographic Map of Riley Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1994
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1994

About this map

The Purgatoire River carves a deep, winding path through this rugged corner of Colorado, defining a landscape where ranching history and modern military activity converge. In the early 1990s, much of this terrain was managed as part of the Comanche National Grassland, yet the southern reaches transition into the Fort Carson Military Reservation (Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site). The isolation of this canyon country is evident in the sparse network of dirt routes like Rourke Road and family-named landmarks that point to a lineage of high-plains settlement.

Local history and genealogy researchers can find several specific points of interest, including the Martinez Cem perched near Ninemile Valley and a second Cem further south. The map documents an essential reliance on scattered water sources, naming vital points like Antone Spring, Good Pasture Spring, and the Girard Windmill, which sustained livestock across the arid breaks of Riley Canyon and Withers Canyon.