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2016 Map of Wetherill Mesa

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Wetherill Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Mesa Verde National Park anchors this terrain in Montezuma County, defined by the stark parallel fingers of high tablelands and the deep canyons that separate them. The map highlights Wetherill Mesa and Chapin Mesa, which stand as significant landforms containing the archaeological heritage of the region. A network of complex drainage systems, such as Navajo Canyon, Rock Canyon, and Wickiup Canyon, creates a deeply dissected landscape where water sources like Horse Springs and Rock Springs were historically critical.

The human imprint on this protected landscape is visible through the Long House Loop road and specific landmarks like Pictograph Point, which speak to the area's ancient cultural significance. From the high elevation of the North Rim down to the southern stretches of Coyote Mesa, the survey meticulously details the relationship between the mesa tops and the seasonal waterways that carved the Middle Fork Ute Canyon and other tributaries of the Ute drainage system.