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1980 Map of Rio Alto Peak

Name: 1980 Topographic Map of Rio Alto Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

High-altitude basins and jagged divides define this portion of the Sangre de Cristo Range, where the Rio Grande National Forest meets the San Isabel National Forest. The landscape is a network of glacial tarns and steep drainages, with Rito Alto Peak and Spread Eagle Peak marking the rugged boundary between Saguache and Custer counties. Notable water bodies such as Blind Lake, Elaine Lake, and Mas Alto Lake are tucked into the cirques below the ridges, connected by a system of pack and jeep trails that follow the natural contours of North Fork and Rito Alto Creek.

Evidence of human utility is found at lower elevations, including an Old Railroad Grade and the Crestone Cem near the southern edge of the sheet. The presence of several prospect sites and a mine near Hermit Peak suggests a history of mineral exploration in the shadow of the high peaks. This survey captures the wilderness character of the region as it existed in the late 1970s, before modern changes to forest access and land management.