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2019 Map of West Baldy

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of West Baldy
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

The Continental Divide crests through the high country of Saguache County, forming the boundary between the Gunnison National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest. This montane landscape is defined by the prominent summits of West Baldy and Mid Baldy, which overlook the high-elevation grasslands of Upper Razor Creek Park and Razor Creek Park. The drainage network is complex, with the headwaters of Razor Creek, Needle Creek, and Middle Barrett Creek carving deep gulches such as Bear Gulch and Wolverine Gulch as they descend from the Cochetopa Hills.

A significant portion of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail traverses the eastern half of the map, following the ridgelines near Green Mountain. The presence of large open spaces like Barret Park and Lower Park amidst the dense timber of the national forests illustrates the high-altitude meadow systems characteristic of this part of the Rockies. Landmarks like Needle Rock and Big Hill provide distinct vertical relief in a region where travel was historically dictated by the passage between these peaks and through the winding creek bottoms.