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1912 Map of Soda Canyon

Name: 1912 Topographic Map of Soda Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1912
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1912

About this map

Mesa Verde and the high plateaus of Chapin Mesa are captured here during a pivotal era of archaeological documentation. The map details a dense network of Ancestral Puebloan sites, including Cliff Palace, Sprucetree House, and the Sun Temple near Sun Point. This 1912 survey, later updated in 1933 by the Indian Office to include newer trails and water sources like Whites Well, shows the geographical relationship between the newly established Mesa Verde National Park and the adjacent Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

Deep canyons, including Soda Canyon and Navajo Canyon, carve through the landscape, revealing the strategic placement of dwellings such as Balcony House and Oak Tree House. Beyond the park boundary, the survey traces the Mancos River as it winds toward the Montezuma and La Plata county line. The presence of numerous towers and cliff-side structures like Casa Colorado and Swallows Nest illustrates the complexity of pre-colonial settlement patterns in this arid region.