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1964 Map of South Mountain

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of South Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

South Mountain dominates this Dolores County landscape, situated within the rugged expanses of the San Juan National Forest as it appeared in the mid-1960s. The terrain is defined by dramatic elevation changes, where the high point of Thomas Mountain looks out over a complex network of drainages including Disappointment Creek and the deep cuts of Warden Draw.

Evidence of early highland activity is preserved in the remote Nash Cem and the presence of scattered water resources like Browning Spring and Lone Mesa Reservoir. The drainage patterns of Alkali Wash and Salt Arroyo suggest a high-desert environment where water management was critical for survival. A few scattered Jeep Trails provide the only evidence of human transit across the plateau of Lone Mesa and near Belmear Mountain, marking a moment before modern development altered this secluded corner of Colorado.