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1964 Map of South Mountain

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of South Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

South Mountain and the surrounding Dolores County high country are mapped here during a period of minimal infrastructure, characterized by high mesas and deep drainage basins. The northern reach is dominated by the winding path of Disappointment Creek, which is fed by numerous seasonal waterways including Alkali Wash and Warden Draw. Evidence of early settlement and land use appears in the form of the Nash Cem and remote water sources like Browning Spring, essential for ranching and survival in this arid environment.

Western portions of the sheet fall within the San Juan National Forest, where the terrain climbs toward Thomas Mountain. The presence of the Lone Mesa Reservoir and the Lone Mesa Spring No 1 on the massive Lone Mesa indicates the importance of managed water for the livestock that historically grazed these plateaus. A network of unimproved roads and a Jeep Trail provide the only access through this complex landscape of ridges and gulches.