Titled “Creede,” this US Geological Survey topographic map presents the historic Colorado mining town and its dramatic mountain setting at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale. Mapped in 2001 and issued with a 2005 imprint, it captures Creede at a moment when its identity had long since shifted from silver-boom frontier settlement to heritage town, outdoor gateway, and landscape of memory. The USGS’s precise cartographic language—contour lines, hydrographic symbols, roads, trails, and land-use markings—turns the surrounding terrain into a readable portrait of elevation and movement. Valleys, ridges, and drainage patterns are rendered with clarity, allowing the viewer to understand not only where Creede sits, but why its location mattered historically.

Creede occupies one of Colorado’s most evocative mountain settings, hemmed in by steep slopes and closely tied to the mineral wealth of the San Juan region. The town rose rapidly in the late nineteenth century after rich silver deposits drew miners, merchants, speculators, and opportunists into this rugged valley. Although the map belongs to the modern USGS series, it quietly preserves the legacy of that boom through its depiction of mining areas, access roads, and the tight relationship between settlement and geology. Here, the terrain is not mere background: it is the reason Creede existed. The contours that crowd around the town suggest the difficulty of movement, the confinement of the valley, and the lure of ore-bearing mountainsides.

The Rio Grande River, one of the great waterways of the American West, is a defining presence on the map. Its course gives structure to the surrounding landscape, threading through valleys that have guided travel, settlement, and resource use for generations. Nearby tributaries, drainages, and ravines are made legible through the USGS’s disciplined topographic symbology, revealing how water has carved and organized the region. Roads and trails follow the logic of the land, bending through lower ground and climbing where necessity demands. The result is a map that communicates both natural process and human adaptation, showing how Creede’s inhabitants navigated a terrain shaped by elevation, weather, water, and mineral opportunity.

The map’s design reflects the mature style of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century USGS quadrangles: clean, systematic, and remarkably information-rich. Brown contour lines describe relief with mathematical elegance, while color distinctions separate water, vegetation, developed areas, and transportation routes. The 1:24,000 scale offers an intimate view of the country around Creede, detailed enough to trace trails, identify ridgelines, and appreciate the complexity of the surrounding highlands. National Forest lands and places such as Silver Lakes add to the sense of a mountain environment where recreation, conservation, and historic extraction overlap. It is a cartographic composition in which scientific restraint produces beauty, and precision becomes a form of visual storytelling.

As a historical document, this “Creede” quadrangle records a landscape shaped by successive eras of use: Indigenous presence, exploration, mining, rail and road access, tourism, preservation, and public land management. By 2001, Creede was no longer the explosive silver camp of the 1890s, yet the map shows how the past remains embedded in the topography. Mining areas, mountain routes, river corridors, and forest boundaries all speak to changing values placed upon the land. What was once primarily a working mineral district had become a destination for history, scenery, and outdoor exploration. In this way, the map is more than a navigational tool; it is a finely drawn record of transformation in the Colorado high country.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Creede, Colorado
• Rio Grande River
• National Forest
• Silver Lakes
• Roads and trails
• Mining areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey.
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Shows Creede in Colorado and surrounding areas.
• Dated 2001 with a 2005 imprint.
• Creede, Colorado is a historic mining town known for its silver mining heritage.
• The map features a clean, standard topographic design, using contour lines and symbols to depict geographical features.
• A clear color scheme enhances visibility of elevation changes and notable features.
• The map illustrates varied elevation with highly detailed contour lines.
• Valleys, ridges, and rivers are clearly depicted.
• Creede has transitioned from a major mining town to a historical site, reflecting changes in economic activity and population.
• The map shows how landscape use has evolved over time.

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.