Published in 1969 using survey data from 1961, the United States Geological Survey’s “Crested Butte” presents one of Colorado’s most evocative mountain landscapes at a pivotal moment in its modern history. Centered on the high-country town of Crested Butte, the map captures a region defined by steep valleys, forested slopes, alpine watercourses, and the dramatic relief of the surrounding ranges. Parts of the Gunnison National Forest frame the settlement, while roads and trails trace practical routes through a terrain shaped by mining, ranching, forestry, and early recreational travel. As a historical document, it records Crested Butte just as the area was beginning to move from its older extractive economy toward its later identity as a celebrated mountain destination.

The map was produced by the United States Geological Survey, whose topographical sheets became the definitive cartographic language of the American landscape. By the mid-twentieth century, USGS mapping combined field survey, aerial photography, and rigorous geodetic control to create maps valued by engineers, foresters, land managers, hikers, and planners alike. In this Crested Butte sheet, that institutional precision is directed toward a particularly complex piece of Colorado terrain. The result is not merely a navigational aid, but a disciplined portrait of landform and settlement. Every contour, stream, road, and boundary contributes to a measured understanding of the Rockies, revealing how human movement and habitation adapted to the severe beauty of the Gunnison country.

The visual power of this map lies in its dense contouring, which elegantly translates the surrounding mountains into a readable pattern of elevation and form. Closely packed lines mark abrupt slopes and rugged ridges, while wider spacing opens into valleys carved by the Slate River, East River, Brush Creek, and Carbon Creek. The surrounding high points and ranges—including features associated with the Ruby Range, Iron Mountain, Lenawee Mountain, and the broader mountain systems near Crested Butte—give the sheet a palpable sense of verticality. Lakes such as Blue Lake and Lake Irwin add quiet punctuation to the alpine terrain. The standard USGS symbology, precise yet understated, allows roads, forest boundaries, watercourses, and settlements to emerge clearly without overwhelming the land itself.

Crested Butte appears here as both a town and a threshold: a compact human place set within a vast mountain environment. Nearby names such as Gothic, Kebler Pass, Kebler Pass Road, and the network of Forest Service roads speak to the region’s layered history of mining camps, mountain crossings, scientific exploration, timber access, and recreation. Gothic, once a mining settlement and later associated with biological research, evokes the cycles of boom, abandonment, and reinvention that shaped many Colorado mountain communities. Kebler Pass connects this landscape to the west, threading through forests and high meadows. Together, these details create a map alive with routes, resources, and seasonal movement across a demanding but deeply alluring terrain.

As a snapshot of the early 1960s landscape, the “Crested Butte” map preserves the area before later decades of tourism, resort expansion, and intensified environmental management transformed public perceptions of the region. It belongs to a moment when conservation, forestry, recreation, and local development increasingly overlapped in the American West. The presence of Gunnison National Forest and nearby federal lands situates the map within a broader story of public stewardship and mountain access. For collectors, it offers more than geographic information: it is a finely structured historical view of a beloved Colorado high country, where contours, place names, and forest roads together record the enduring relationship between people, wilderness, and the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Crested Butte
• Gunnison
• Ten Mile Range
• Kebler Pass
• Gothic
• Carbon Creek
• Slate River
• Blue Lake
• Lake Irwin
• Lenawee Mountain
• Iron Mountain
• Brush Creek
• East River
• Ruby Range
• White River National Forest
• Gunnison National Forest
• Kebler Pass Road
• Forest Service Roads

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Crested Butte, Colorado, and the surrounding area.
• The map was created using survey data from 1961 and published with a 1969 imprint.
• Crested Butte is prominently featured, along with surrounding areas including parts of the Gunnison National Forest.
• The map uses contour lines to represent elevation changes and terrain features, with the detailed and precise layout typical of USGS topographical maps.
• The legend includes symbols indicating various geographical features.
• The map depicts rugged mountainous terrain, including valleys, peaks, and water bodies.
• It reflects the geography of the Crested Butte area during a period of mid-20th-century development and conservation.
• It serves as a historical snapshot of the landscape before significant later changes associated with tourism and environmental management.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.