1985 Map of Cathedral Canyon

About this map

Lake Powell dominates the northern reaches of this landscape, its waters filling the depths of Glen Canyon after the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam. The 1985 topography illustrates the flooded canyon system where the Colorado River once flowed freely, now branching into intricate side-canyons like Little Arch Canyon and Cathedral Canyon. South of the high-water line, the massive uplift of Cummings Mesa rises sharply, its dissected plateaus part of the Navajo Indian Reservation. This intersection of federal recreation land and tribal territory is defined by distinctive geologic markers such as Cathedral Butte and natural spans like Carrot Top Arch and Keyhole Arch. The map details the drainage patterns of Sheep Mountain Canyon and Wetherill Canyon, providing a precise record of the shoreline and high desert terrain during the mid-1980s.