1915 Map of Soda Canyon

About this map

Mesa Verde National Park is captured in remarkable detail during the early 20th century, revealing the density of ancestral Puebloan sites across Chapin Mesa. The survey documents world-renowned structures such as Cliff Palace, Sun Temple, and Sprucetree House Headquarters before the heavy onset of modern tourism infrastructure. To the south and east, the landscape transitions into the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, where the Mancos River carves through deep canyons. The map serves as a vital record of the canyon-and-mesa topography, identifying numerous smaller dwellings like Swallows Nest and Sixteen Window House. These sites are linked by a network of primitive routes including the Government Road and the Ute Trail, which traverse the rugged divide between Soda Canyon and Moccasin Canyon.