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1972 Map of Big Southern Butte

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Big Southern Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Big Southern Butte dominates the southeastern quadrant of this Idaho landscape, rising sharply above the surrounding plain as a prominent volcanic landmark. During the early 1970s, this area was defined by its integration into specialized government and military operations, most notably the National Reactor Testing Station and the Naval Ordnance Test Facility located in the northeast corner near the Union Pacific line. These high-technology installations stood in stark contrast to the scattered relics of earlier pastoral and frontier life.

Water sources are scarce in this arid terrain, marked by isolated points like Frenchmans Spring, Webb Spring, and man-made features such as Big Butte Reservoir. Remnants of human activity are indicated by Frenchmans Cabin and the Big Southern Butte Landing Strip, providing a clear picture of how this remote high-desert area was utilized for both aerospace testing and limited cattle grazing. The Big Butte III A Lookout at the summit highlights the strategic importance of the butte for regional observation.