2021 Map of Burdock

About this map

Black Hills National Forest and the Buffalo Gap National Grassland converge in this western South Dakota landscape, where the high ridges of Pilger Mtn give way to a network of deep canyons and watercourses. The small settlements of Burdock and Marietta anchor a region defined by its complex hydrology and early ranching infrastructure. A sophisticated system of water management is visible through the Griffis Canal and Tubbs Canal, which divert water across the plains south of the Cheyenne River. The terrain is deeply incised by drainages such as Roderick Canyon, East Bennett Canyon, and Driftwood Canyon, showing the erosive force of seasonal flows from Pass Cr and Beaver Cr toward the river valley.