Published in 1998 using survey data from 1994, “Salida East” is a finely detailed US Geological Survey 1:24,000 topographical map centered on Salida, Colorado, and the dramatic terrain immediately surrounding this celebrated Arkansas Valley town. At this intimate scale, the map captures the relationship between settlement, river corridor, roads, trails, and mountain landforms with the precision for which the USGS is renowned. Salida appears not merely as a dot on the map, but as a community shaped by elevation, water, transportation, and access to the high country. The Arkansas River, one of the defining waterways of Colorado, threads through the landscape, anchoring the valley and giving visual structure to the surrounding ridges, slopes, and open ground.

The US Geological Survey’s topographic quadrangles occupy a distinguished place in American cartographic history, combining scientific measurement with an understated visual elegance. Created for land management, environmental assessment, engineering, recreation, and natural resource study, maps such as “Salida East” translate the complexity of the landscape into a disciplined language of contour lines, color tints, hydrography, and human infrastructure. Here, brown contour lines articulate the rise and fall of the terrain, while green shading marks forested areas and blue linework identifies watercourses. Roads and trails are drawn with practical clarity, revealing how people moved through and occupied this rugged portion of central Colorado at the close of the twentieth century.

The topographic character of this map is especially compelling, as it records a landscape of pronounced elevation change at the edge of the Rocky Mountains. The contour lines gather tightly along steeper slopes and open more broadly across valley floors, allowing the viewer to read the land almost three-dimensionally. Mountain ridges, side valleys, drainage channels, and upland benches emerge through the map’s careful layering of symbols. This is the geography that makes the Salida area so beloved by rafters, hikers, anglers, skiers, and mountain travelers: a meeting place of river and rock, town and wilderness, accessible routes and demanding terrain. The map’s design conveys both the beauty and the physical rigor of the region.

Salida’s location along the Arkansas River has long given it strategic and recreational importance. Historically tied to transportation, mining-era movement, ranching, and mountain access, the town developed as a gateway to the surrounding high country. By the 1990s, when the data for this map was gathered, Salida was increasingly recognized for outdoor recreation, particularly white-water rafting on the Arkansas River and trail-based exploration in the nearby hills and forests. The map therefore documents a moment when traditional land uses and newer recreational economies overlapped. Roads, trails, river corridors, and developed areas together form a portrait of a Colorado community in transition, still rooted in its landscape while embracing its role as an adventure hub.

As a historical topographical record, “Salida East” offers more than geographic information; it preserves the visible condition of the region in the mid-1990s. Its depiction of roads, trails, forested tracts, watercourses, and settlement patterns allows comparison with later development, conservation priorities, and recreational expansion. The Arkansas Valley’s relationship to surrounding mountainous terrain is rendered with striking clarity, making the map valuable to collectors interested in Colorado history, Western landscapes, and scientific cartography. Its restrained USGS aesthetic rewards close study: every contour, symbol, and color choice contributes to an ordered portrait of a living landscape. The result is a map that is both utilitarian and evocative, capturing Salida at the intersection of natural grandeur and human use.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Salida, Colorado
• Arkansas River
• Arkansas Valley
• Various mountain ridges and valleys in the vicinity
• Forested areas indicated by green shading
• Roads and trails connecting various locations
• Nearby landmarks associated with outdoor activities, such as hiking and rafting areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map produced by the US Geological Survey.
• Created with data from 1994 and published with a 1998 imprint.
• The US Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government, known for producing detailed and accurate maps for land use, environmental assessment, and natural resource management.
• Uses color, contour lines, and standard topographic symbols to represent elevation, terrain, watercourses, and landscape features.
• Shows significant elevation change, including mountainous regions, valleys, and drainage patterns characteristic of Colorado.
• Reflects geographical conditions and regional development up to the mid-1990s.
• Offers insight into land use, conservation areas, and recreational development 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.