2011 Map of Big Hill

About this map

The Yellowstone River anchors the southern portion of this landscape, its braided channels flowing past the Fort Keogh Bridge. This area of Custer County is characterized by a complex drainage system, where North Sunday Creek and South Sunday Creek converge as they move toward the river valley. The map reveals the infrastructure of early 21st-century ranching and water management, including the Murphy and Sons Number 1 Dam and the French Number 11 Dam, which sit among the dry coulees. To the east, the aviation history of the region is represented by the landing strips of Frank Wiley Field. From the prominent elevation of Big Hill in the north down to the riparian zones of Cotton Creek and Reservation Creek, the map details a terrain shaped by both natural waterways and deliberate agricultural engineering.