Titled “Pico Peak,” this U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle was surveyed in 1961 and issued with a 1964 imprint, capturing a pivotal moment in the modern history of central Vermont’s mountains. Drawn at the precise 1:24,000 scale, it presents Killington, Pico Peak, Sherburne, and surrounding highlands with the quiet authority of mid-century federal cartography. The map belongs to the USGS tradition of systematic national mapping: practical, exacting, and deeply revealing. Here, the Green Mountains are not merely named but measured, their ridges, hollows, roads, streams, and settlements translated into a finely ordered topographic language. The result is a portrait of a landscape on the cusp of transformation, as rural Vermont increasingly became a destination for skiing, hiking, conservation, and year-round mountain recreation.

The design is classic USGS: restrained, legible, and rich in information. Its two-color topographic scheme relies on contour lines to model the rugged relief around Pico Peak and Killington with remarkable clarity. Each curve of elevation describes the steep shoulders of the mountains, the descent into valleys, and the irregular drainage patterns that define this part of Rutland County. Roads, forest boundaries, waterways, and place names are arranged with a precision that rewards close study. Unlike decorative maps that generalize the land, this quadrangle reveals the physical logic of the terrain. The viewer can trace approaches to summits, follow stream courses through wooded valleys, and understand why settlement gathered where slopes eased and transportation routes could pass through the mountains.

Pico Peak itself stands as the commanding presence of the map, one of the notable summits of the central Green Mountains and long a landmark for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. Nearby Killington, now synonymous with one of the East’s major ski areas, appears here within a broader and more historic landscape of forest, farm, road, and ridge. Sherburne, the town historically associated with the area before the Killington name became dominant, anchors the map in an earlier chapter of local identity. Chittenden, Stonebridge, Castleton State Forest, and the Green Mountain National Forest extend the geographic story outward, showing a region shaped by elevation, watershed, woodland, and the limited but important corridors through which human activity could take hold.

The date of this map gives it particular historical resonance. By the early 1960s, Vermont’s mountain economy was changing rapidly, with winter sports and outdoor tourism expanding alongside longer-standing patterns of forestry, farming, and small-town life. Pico had already established itself as a ski mountain, while Killington’s development was just beginning to reshape public perception of the region. This quadrangle therefore records more than terrain; it captures the infrastructure and land-use patterns of a landscape entering the modern recreational era. Roads and settlements appear modest when set against the sweeping contours of the mountains, reminding us that the built environment was still secondary to the commanding geography. In that balance lies much of the map’s charm and documentary value.

As a historical object, “Pico Peak” offers an elegant intersection of science, landscape, and regional memory. The USGS created such maps to support land management, engineering, conservation, and public knowledge, yet they have become treasured records of how places looked at specific moments in time. Here, Green Mountain National Forest and Castleton State Forest point to the conservation framework that helped preserve Vermont’s uplands, while the surrounding towns and valleys reveal the human geography threaded through them. The map’s disciplined contours make the area’s natural drama immediately legible: steep climbs, enclosed basins, wooded ridges, and watercourses descending toward lower ground. It is both a technical survey and a beautifully composed historical view of Vermont’s mountain heart.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Killington
• Pico Peak
• Sherburne
• Chittenden
• Green Mountain National Forest
• Stonebridge
• Castleton State Forest
• Nearby streams, lakes, and other topographic features

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Killington, Vermont and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1961 and published with a 1964 imprint.
• The USGS has played a critical role in mapping and surveying the United States, supporting land management, conservation, and scientific research.
• Uses a two-color scheme with standard topographic features shown through contour lines.
• Depicts rugged mountainous terrain, including prominent elevations and valleys.
• Provides insight into early 1960s land use and development patterns in Vermont.
• Reflects the growing importance of outdoor recreation, skiing, tourism, and conservation in the region.

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.