Titled “Frisco,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents one of Colorado’s most dramatic high-country landscapes: the basin of Dillon Reservoir and the mountain terrain surrounding Frisco, Dillon, and the Blue River. Dated 1970 with a 1988 imprint, it captures the region at a revealing moment in its modern development, when recreation, transportation, water management, and conservation were increasingly shaping Summit County. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map offers a richly detailed portrait of roads, streams, contour lines, forest boundaries, and settlement patterns. Dillon Reservoir dominates the composition, its branching shoreline set against the steep geometry of the Rockies, while State Highway 9 and local routes trace the human corridors through this elevated alpine terrain.

The USGS, long regarded as the authoritative cartographic arm of the American landscape, brought to maps like “Frisco” a distinctive combination of scientific rigor and visual clarity. Its topographical quadrangles were designed not merely to show where places were, but to explain the land itself: its relief, drainage, access, and structure. Here, contour lines articulate the steep slopes and high ridges that define central Colorado, allowing the eye to read elevation as rhythm and form. Water is rendered with equal care, from the expansive Dillon Reservoir to the Blue River and smaller tributaries feeding the watershed. The result is a map that is both practical and elegant, translating complex mountain geography into a disciplined and legible cartographic language.

Dillon Reservoir is the map’s central historical and geographic presence. Completed in the early 1960s as part of Denver’s water system, the reservoir transformed the upper Blue River valley, submerging earlier landscapes and reshaping the surrounding communities. By the time represented on this map, the reservoir had become not only an engineered water supply but also a defining recreational and scenic feature of Summit County. Its irregular shoreline, coves, and inlets reveal the underlying topography of the valley it occupies, while nearby roads and developed areas show the growing importance of tourism and second-home communities. The Town of Dillon, relocated as part of the reservoir’s creation, stands as a reminder of the profound social and geographic consequences of modern water projects in the American West.

Frisco appears within a wider setting of forests, peaks, and alpine routes, a town whose identity has long been tied to both mining history and mountain travel. Nestled near the Tenmile Range and close to major passes and river corridors, Frisco served as a gateway between Colorado’s high basins and mining districts before becoming a hub for outdoor recreation. The map’s symbols for roads, trails, and public lands point toward the late twentieth-century rise of skiing, hiking, boating, and forest recreation in the region. Arapahoe National Forest frames much of the surrounding landscape, emphasizing the federal role in conserving and managing these mountainous lands. The map therefore records a place in transition: from extractive frontier and water-development zone to a celebrated alpine playground.

What makes this map especially compelling is the way its technical design reveals the drama of Colorado’s terrain. Closely spaced contours climb from the reservoir toward surrounding peaks, making the mountains appear almost sculptural despite the disciplined restraint of USGS symbology. Highways and local roads are shown as slender threads navigating ridgelines, valleys, and water edges, while forest boundaries and recreational features hint at the layered uses of the land. It is a cartographic portrait of elevation, watershed, and access: a concise visual record of how communities inhabit a demanding mountain environment. For collectors interested in Colorado, Western water history, federal mapping, or the evolution of Summit County, “Frisco” offers a richly informative view of a landscape shaped by nature, engineering, and recreation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Dillon Reservoir
• Frisco, Colorado
• Arapahoe National Forest
• Blue River
• Town of Dillon
• Various roads, notably State Highway 9
• Peaks and surrounding mountainous regions
• Trails and recreational areas
• Notable elevations indicated by contour lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey.
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Dillon Reservoir and the surrounding Colorado landscape.
• Dated 1970 with a 1988 imprint.
• The USGS is known for detailed and accurate geological, topographical, and hydrological mapping.
• Uses contour lines to depict elevation changes and terrain.
• Employs distinct colors and symbols to indicate roads, water bodies, elevations, and other features.
• Shows mountainous Colorado terrain with varied elevations.
• Reflects late 20th-century landscape and infrastructure development in the area.
• Documents changes in land use, recreation, and conservation 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.