1972 Map of Blue Gap

About this map

The Navajo Indian Reservation landscape around Blue Gap is defined by a series of drainage washes and high desert terrain features in the early 1970s. This survey centers on the community hub of Blue Gap, featuring the Blue Gap Chapter House, Blue Gap Sch, and a small Cem. The settlement pattern follows the natural water sources and trail networks, with the Black Mountain Trading Post situated in the southeastern corner near a Well. Higher elevations are marked by landmarks like Taasahdi Dzil and Ramhead, while numerous water sources such as Donkey Spring and Yellow Spring dot the western canyons. The map illustrates a remote high-desert economy reliant on seasonal washes like Polacca Wash and Tah Chee Wash, where unimproved dirt roads and a Jeep Trail provide the primary means of traversal between scattered dwellings and localized resource points like an upland Mine.