Loading map...

2022 Map of Big Valley North

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Big Valley North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

The Colorado River and Pecan Bayou define the complex topography of this Central Texas landscape along the border of Mills and San Saba counties. This area is characterized by a series of significant hollows and canyons, including Cedar Hollow and Jones Canyon, which feed into the primary river systems. Small settlements and ranching hubs like Big Valley and Smoky Bend serve as the principal landmarks, with the Smoky Bend Ranch Airport providing a modern logistical point in the north.

For family historians, the map documents several rural burial grounds scattered across the terrain, such as Estep Cem, Rock Springs Cem, and Catclaw Cem. These sites, along with isolated springs like Well Spring, point to the generations of agricultural life in the region. Notable geographical features like Blue Bluff and the sharp turn of Horseshoe Bend illustrate the dramatic river-cut landscape that has shaped movement and settlement patterns since the early days of these ranching communities.