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1955 Map of Telluride

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Telluride
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The high-altitude mining district of Telluride is captured here during the mid-1950s, revealing a landscape defined by verticality and the extraction of mineral wealth. The town sits at the base of the San Miguel River, dwarfed by the massive peaks of the Uncompahgre National Forest and San Juan National Forest. The map documents a dense network of industrial history, from the Pandora Mill to the extensive underground workings of the Liberty Bell Mine and Smuggler Mine.

Evidence of earlier booms and more remote operations is visible in the Tomboy (Ruins) and the high-elevation settlement of Alta near the Alta Lakes. Beyond the industrial footprint, the map traces significant alpine terrain such as Bridal Veil Falls and the jagged St Sophia Ridge. The presence of numerous tunnels, such as the Stilwell Tunnel and Meldrum Tunnel, underscores the complexity of the subterranean infrastructure required to reach ore bodies in the San Miguel region.