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1982 Map of Silverton

Name: 1982 Topographic Map of Silverton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1992
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1992

About this map

Silverton and Telluride anchor this high-altitude survey of the San Juan Mountains, recorded in the early 1980s as the region's mining heritage and natural landscape converged. The map meticulously documents a history of extraction, featuring legendary sites like the Sunnyside Mine, Camp Bird Mine, and Old Hundred Mine. These industrial nodes are connected by the winding route of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which snakes through the steep terrain to reach Tacoma and the upper reaches of Mineral Creek.

Remote settlements such as Howardsville, Middleton, and Pandora are shown alongside critical mountain passes, including Ophir Pass and Red Mountain Pass, which historically facilitated the movement of ore and supplies between isolated mining camps. The vast surrounding wilderness areas, such as the Weminuche Wilderness and Mount Sneffels Wilderness, emphasize the isolation of these communities amidst peaks like Handies Peak and Sunshine Peak.