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1915 Map of Soda Canyon

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

USGS Topo · Published 1915

About this map

Cliff Palace and Sprucetree House anchor this 1915 topographic study of the canyon-cut terrain where Mesa Verde National Park meets the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The map documents the early systematic recording of ancestral Puebloan sites, including Balcony House, Swallows Nest, and the Double Walled Tower. The landscape is dominated by the Mancos River and a complex system of tributary canyons like Navajo Canyon and Soda Canyon that dissect the great mesas.

Evidence of early 20th-century occupation appears at Waters Ranch and along the Government Road, while the southern portion of the sheet remains largely dominated by the natural drainage patterns of Johnson Canyon and Greasewood Canyon. This survey captures a transitional moment between the archaeological discoveries of the late 19th century and the formalization of the national park, preserving the location of Cliff Dwellings and local landmarks like Moccasin Head before modern tourism infrastructure altered the landscape.