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2023 Map of Bates

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of Bates
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

The tiny settlement of Bates serves as a lone outpost of human habitation within the eastern reaches of the Malheur National Forest. This modern survey illustrates a landscape defined by its complex drainage network, where the Middle Fork John Day River and Little Butte Creek carve through the high elevations. The topography is marked by notable high points like Dixie Summit and the depressions of Dead Cow Gulch and Placer Gulch, reflecting a terrain that has long influenced transportation routes through the Blue Mountains.

A network of forest roads and trails, including the Austin Spur, provides access to numerous natural water sources such as Dixie Spring, Huckleberry Spring, and the man-made Bates Pond. Local history and genealogy researchers will find value in the family-named drainage labels, including Jeff Davis Creek, Dans Creek, and Gorge Creek, which point to early land use and seasonal activity in this mountainous corner of Grant County.