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2001 Map of West Elk Peak

Name: 2001 Topographic Map of West Elk Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2004
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2004

About this map

West Elk Peak and the high ridges of the West Elk Wilderness dominate this survey within the Gunnison National Forest. The landscape is defined by its verticality, featuring a chain of significant summits including North Baldy Mountain, Middle Baldy Mountain, and South Baldy Mountain. These peaks overlook a network of alpine basins and drainages, most notably Soap Basin and West Elk Basin.

Water management and recreation are evident in the presence of the Highline Ditch near the northeastern corner and the Mill-Castle Trail, which provides passage through the dramatic rock formations known as The Castles. This 2001 revision, based on older topographical data and 1999 imagery, captures the area's wild character, tracing the headwaters of Soap Creek, Beaver Creek, and West Elk Creek. The map also documents numerous protracted blocks, indicating unsurveyed land within the wilderness and forest boundaries.