Dolores County stretches from the broad mesa country around Dove Creek to steep mountain valleys near Rico and Dunton. The western side is lower and more open, while the eastern side rises sharply into rugged high country cut by rivers and creeks. The supplied county, city, water, and elevation maps make that change easy to follow. They show Dove Creek and Rico, the main numbered roads, the Dolores River system, mountain reservoirs, and a very large elevation range. High-resolution JPG originals of the same maps are available below in one downloadable ZIP archive.
The official Dolores County website describes the western part of the county as mostly high mesas and narrow valleys and the eastern part as high mountains. That description matches the supplied maps closely. Around Dove Creek, roads cross comparatively broad terrain, while the Rico and Dunton side contains tight valleys and twisting mountain routes. Using the two towns as opposite anchors is one of the easiest ways to understand the county.
Waterways reinforce the same geographic split. Dolores River is one of the major drainage references, joined by mountain streams and creeks across the county. West Dolores River, Disappointment Creek, Beaver Creek, Fish Creek, Dove Creek, and Monument Creek are all labeled on the terrain map. Named water bodies include Morrison Lake, Belmear Lake, Groundhog Reservoir, Long Draw Reservoir, Cabin Reservoir, and Beef Trail Reservoir. The elevation map ranges from about 1,570 to 4,307 meters with a mean near 2,524 meters.
Table of Contents
From Dove Creek mesa country to the mountains around Rico
The county’s west-to-east change is the first feature worth noticing. Dove Creek sits close to the western side in terrain that is broad enough for long road segments and widely spaced drainages. Rico is far to the east inside a much narrower mountain setting. Dunton appears farther north within the same high-country side of the county. The distance between these settlement areas is filled with valleys, tributaries, and roads shaped by the terrain.
Dolores County’s official overview says the county covers 1,064 square miles and describes the west as mesa-and-valley country and the east as high mountains. The map makes that division visible without needing a technical terrain model. Western roads are more open and direct, while roads near Rico bend around steep slopes and follow lower valleys.
The county’s Addressing and Mapping office also provides an official county road map along with separate maps for Dove Creek and Rico. The reference map on this page is simpler and works best as an overview. For exact addresses, road names, or current local access, the official county mapping resources are the better next step.
US 491, CO 141, and CO 145 on the county reference map
The western road system is easiest to organize around US 491 and CO 141. US 491 is the strongest regional road reference near the Dove Creek side, while CO 141 helps locate the northwestern portion. Roads marked 6, 9, and 10 appear around the Dove Creek area, and a Dolores County Courthouse symbol provides another useful landmark for the western settlement center.
Across the central and eastern parts of the county, roads marked 27, 38, 39, 521, 526, 532, and 578 follow more broken terrain. CO 145 is the clearest road reference around Rico. Dunton lies farther north in the mountain section. The difference in road shape is important: western routes often cross broader ground, while eastern roads turn through narrow valleys and around high terrain.
This map is designed for county orientation, not live navigation. It does not show every private road, seasonal closure, current road condition, or property boundary. Dolores County’s official GIS office maintains county road and addressing information, so current travel or address questions should be checked against those resources.
Dove Creek and Rico on the ranked city map
The city map highlights only Dove Creek and Rico as the two ranked major cities. Dove Creek is positioned near the western side, while Rico is far to the east in mountain terrain. With most road detail removed, the map makes the long distance between the two settlement centers easy to see and emphasizes how much undeveloped mountain and mesa country lies between them.
The CITY INDEX includes a rank and number beside each place. Those values should be treated as part of the map’s internal city-ranking display rather than automatically assumed to be current Census population counts. Anyone who needs current population figures should use a recent U.S. Census Bureau release.
Montezuma, San Miguel, La Plata, San Juan, and Ouray counties are labeled around the outside of the map and help place Dolores County within southwestern Colorado. The city view is useful for quick settlement comparison, while the reference map is better for Dunton, regional roads, and smaller local routes.
Dolores River, mountain tributaries, and high-country reservoirs
The terrain-and-water map is organized around the Dolores River system and a series of mountain drainages. Dolores River is a major central reference, while Dove Creek and Monument Creek are labeled farther west. Disappointment Creek crosses the north-central terrain, and the eastern mountains contain Beaver Creek, Fish Creek, and West Dolores River in separate valleys.
Named water bodies are spread across several different terrain zones. Morrison Lake, Belmear Lake, and Groundhog Reservoir appear in the northeastern half, while Long Draw Reservoir is farther south and east. Cabin Reservoir is marked closer to the south-central part of the county, and Beef Trail Reservoir appears farther west. These locations are easier to understand when the water map is compared with the elevation view.
An official Town of Rico regional plan describes Rico as the main population center in the upper Dolores River basin and notes the network of old mining roads and mountain trails around the town. The map on this page is much broader and should be treated only as a geographic reference. It does not provide live streamflow, flood risk, fishing rules, water quality, or water-rights information.
Elevation rises from about 1,570 meters to more than 4,300 meters
The elevation map shows one of the strongest west-to-east terrain changes among the Colorado county maps. Its printed range extends from about 1,570 to 4,307 meters, with a mean near 2,524 meters. Green lower terrain covers much of the western side, while yellow, tan, and brown colors expand toward the east where mountain relief becomes much steeper.
The western side is not perfectly flat, but its broad mesas and gentler valleys contrast strongly with the eastern mountains. Around Rico and Dunton, high ridges are separated by narrow lower drainages, and roads use those valley floors wherever possible. Comparing the elevation and water maps helps explain why the Dolores River and tributaries occupy such important travel and settlement corridors.
The colored elevation surface is intended for broad county comparison, not survey work. It should not be used to assign an exact elevation to a home, farm, road project, mine site, trail facility, or parcel. Detailed engineering and site work should rely on source elevation data from the USGS 3D Elevation Program or professional surveying.
Choosing the right Dolores County map and downloading the JPG originals
Use the county reference map when you need Dove Creek, Rico, Dunton, US 491, CO 141, CO 145, and the wider road network in one view. The city map is cleaner when the goal is simply to compare Dove Creek and Rico across the long county boundary.
The terrain-and-water map is the best choice for Dolores River, West Dolores River, Disappointment Creek, Beaver Creek, Fish Creek, and the named reservoirs. The elevation map is more useful when the subject is the lower western mesa country or the rapid rise into eastern high mountains. Matching the view to the question makes this long, varied county much easier to understand.
The WebP images in the article are reduced previews for faster page loading. The download archive contains the corresponding original JPG files at 3638 × 2572 pixels each, making them better suited to printing, classroom use, reports, presentations, and personal annotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for comparing Dove Creek and Rico?
Use the city map for the simplest comparison of the two ranked major cities. Use the county reference map when you also need US 491, CO 141, CO 145, Dunton, the courthouse area, and smaller numbered roads.
Where can I see Dolores River and the main reservoirs most clearly?
The terrain-and-water map is the best choice. It labels Dolores River, West Dolores River, Disappointment Creek, Beaver Creek, Fish Creek, Morrison Lake, Groundhog Reservoir, Long Draw Reservoir, and additional water bodies.
Can the 1,570–4,307 meter elevation range be used for survey work?
No. The range is useful for county-wide terrain comparison, but the map is not survey-grade. Exact elevation work for construction, roads, farms, parcels, mine sites, or engineering should use source USGS elevation data or professional surveying.
Map File Information
The ZIP archive contains high-resolution JPG originals of the Dolores County reference, city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps.
- Printable Size: 3638 × 2572 pixels each
- File Type: ZIP archive containing 4 JPG files
Related Maps
Sources and references
County geography and local information are available from the official Dolores County website. Official road and place mapping, including county road maps and separate Dove Creek and Rico maps, is available from Dolores County Addressing and Mapping (GIS).
Additional data references include U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles for administrative boundaries, USGS National Hydrography for water features, and the USGS 3D Elevation Program for elevation data.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
