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1964 Map of Storm King Peak

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Storm King Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

San Juan National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest converge at the Continental Divide, marking a landscape defined by high-altitude peaks and glacial lakes. This 1964 field-checked survey reveals the high Grenadier Range and Needle Mountains, where sharp summits like Vestal Peak and Jagged Mountain dominate the skyline. In the northeast corner, the Beartown (site) reflects the era's fading mining footprint, surrounded by several unnamed mines and prospects near Kite Lake.

Deep within the Weminuche Wilderness, the map documents a network of primitive transportation, including the Elk Park Trail and various pack trails that follow drainages like Vallecito Creek and Tenmile Creek. The concentration of high-alpine water bodies such as Eldorado Lake, Lake Silex, and Sunlight Lake suggests a complex drainage system feeding into the surrounding river basins. This map captures the region before modern recreational use fully reshaped its accessibility, preserving the nomenclature of the peaks and passes known to early twentieth-century explorers.