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2022 Map of Rulison

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

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

Rulison sits along the northern edge of this Garfield County landscape, positioned between the Colorado River and the rising slopes of the high mesas. The terrain transitions quickly from the irrigated valley floors near Sharrard Park to the elevated benches of Holms Mesa and Morrisania Mesa. This area is characterized by a complex network of drainage systems including Cottonwood Cr and Battlement Cr, which have carved deep features such as Monument Gulch into the plateau.

South of the river valley, the land ascends into the White River National Forest, where the topography becomes significantly more vertical around peaks like Doghead Mtn and Houston Mtn. High-altitude water management is evident at the Battlement Number 1 Reservoir, reached by a system of rugged paths including the Battlement Jeep trail and the Battlement Trail A Trl. The map illustrates the historic reliance on these upland water sources for the agricultural communities established on the mesas below.