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1974 Map of Castle Gap

Name: 1974 Topographic Map of Castle Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Castle Mountain and the prominent King Mountain plateau dominate this landscape along the Crane and Upton County line. This 1970s survey captures a territory defined by the petroleum industry, with dense clusters of oil wells populating the Mc Elroy Oil Field and the Crane-Cowden Oil Field. The terrain is marked by the legendary Castle Gap, a historic pass used by pioneers and cattle drivers on the Goodnight-Loving Trail, here preserved as Castle Gap Park.

Evidence of local history and infrastructure appears along Route 385, including the County South Cem and a Roadside Park. High points like Hilltop and various radio towers overlook a network of pipelines and gravel pits that supported the region's energy production. The map provides a precise record of the complex interplay between the natural mesa topography and the industrial development of the Permian Basin during the mid-20th century.