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2013 Map of South River Peak

Name: 2013 Topographic Map of South River Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2013
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2013

About this map

Rainbow Hot Springs sits at the southern heart of this high-altitude landscape, where the W Fork San Juan River carves a deep path between the massive divides of the Rio Grande National Forest and San Juan National Forest. The 2013 survey illustrates a high-country network defined by drainage basins and ridgeline summits, notably South River Peak and Sawtooth Mountain. Alpine hydrology is a defining characteristic of this terrain, with isolated water bodies such as Archuleta Lake and Spotted Lake appearing near the eastern boundary.

Legacy trail systems provide the primary means of navigation through the San Juan Mountains, including the long-distance West Fork Trail 561 and Goose Creek Trail 827. The topographic record shows a landscape transition at Beaver Meadow, where the drainage of Beaver Cr meets the lower slopes. This era of mapping documents the remote wilderness character of the Colorado Mineral County region before modern developments could alter its high-alpine hydrology and historic trail corridors.