1963 Map of Best Ranch

About this map

Best Ranch and several other family-named cattle operations define this high-plateau landscape along the Albany and Laramie county line. The map captures the logistical heart of the region where the Union Pacific railroad corridor meets historical migration routes. The Overland Trail and Overland Road traverse the eastern portion of the sheet, tracing the path of nineteenth-century western travel through the wind-swept plains near Tie Siding. To the west, the topography rises sharply toward Boulder Ridge, where the dense timber of the Medicine Bow National Forest begins. Water management is a central theme, evidenced by the Willow Creek Reservoir and its Spillway, which supports the ranching economy by capturing drainage from Willow Creek and Fish Creek. This survey provides a clear view of the transition from open grazing land to the forested uplands of southern Wyoming.