1963 Map of Wetterhorn Peak

About this map

Wetterhorn Peak and the surrounding high-altitude wilderness of the Uncompahgre National Forest dominate this 1960s study of the San Juan Mountains. The landscape is defined by its verticality, where prominent summits like Coxcomb Peak and Precipice Peak overlook deep drainages such as Wetterhorn Basin and Porphyry Basin. Evidence of early exploration and resource extraction is visible through numerous Prospects and a Mine scattered across the steep slopes. The map traces an extensive network of primitive routes, including the Green Mountain Trail, West Fork Trail, and the Mary Alice Creek Trail, which navigate through alpine features like American Flats and Bighorn Ridge. This era shows the region as a high-country frontier, where jurisdictional lines like the Hinsdale and Ouray County boundary were still being precisely defined across the Indefinite Boundary.