1954 Map of West Elk Peak SW

About this map

Gunnison National Forest dominates this mid-century landscape, characterized by a complex network of high-altitude drainages and timbered ridges in the Colorado Rockies. The map reveals the historical names of specific landforms, such as Slab Mill Gulch and Burnt Mill Gulch, which suggest the area's early connection to logging and small-scale timber processing. In the southern portion of the sheet, the terrain opens into the broader Dillon Mesa near Tenderfoot Hill. This transition from the narrow, steep-walled canyons of West Elk Creek and Red Creek to the mesa tops illustrates the varying elevations that shaped grazing and transport patterns in the mid-1950s. A singular Jeep Trail provides one of the few named avenues through the dense gulches, highlighting the limited accessibility of this high-country terrain during the post-war era.