2014 Map of Blue Chief Mesa

About this map

The Dolores River carves a deep, serpentine path through the canyonlands of Grand County in this 2014 survey. The topography is defined by massive, flat-topped landforms such as Blue Chief Mesa, Sevenmile Mesa, and Buckhorn Mesa, which tower over the river's floodplains. Low-lying areas like Utah Bottoms provide a stark contrast to the surrounding heights of Hotel Mesa and Big Pinto Mesa. This terrain is a labyrinth of erosion, where named features like Line Canyon, Cottonwood Canyon, and Bridge Canyon drain into the main river corridor. The map tracks several primitive routes including Shura and Triangle, which negotiate the steep elevation changes between the river basin and the high desert plateaus. Notable geological points of interest, such as The Slide, indicate the active erosional forces shaping the landscape near Buckhorn Draw.