2017 Map of Badlands Hills

About this map

The Badlands Hills and Ralston Flats characterize this segment of Park County, where the high desert terrain is punctuated by significant water management infrastructure. The southeastern corner reveals a complex network of irrigation, including the Heart Mountain Canal and Lateral H-141, supporting agriculture in this arid region. These engineered waterways contrast with the natural drainage systems of Little Sand Coulee and West Fork Big Sand Coulee that carve through the hills. Local water storage is evidenced by the West Fork Sand Coulee Reservoir and Three-Falls Reservoir, while a sparse grid of rural routes like Little Sand Coulee Rd provides the primary access through the townships. The map documents the persistent human effort to redirect water toward the flats for cultivation, a defining feature of the local landscape's development.