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1915 Map of Soda Canyon

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Soda Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1934
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1934

About this map

Mesa Verde National Park and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation define this southwestern Colorado landscape, split by the winding course of the Mancos River. Surveyed between 1911 and 1912, the map documents a dense concentration of ancient architecture along the canyon walls, including Cliff Palace, Sun Temple, and Sprucetree House Headquarters. The intricate topography of Chapin Mesa and Moccasin Mesa is marked by numerous archaeological sites such as Balcony House and Square Tower House.

A network of early routes like the Government Road and various unnamed trails provide the primary access through the mesas. Beyond the park boundary, the land transitions into the reservation, where landmarks such as Double Walled Tower and Mancos Spring appear. The mapping highlights the intersection of early 20th-century federal conservation and indigenous lands, recorded just as the region's unique heritage was being formally preserved and managed by the Department of the Interior.