2014 Map of Chicken Springs

About this map

Thousand Springs Valley forms the heart of this high-desert landscape in northeastern Elko County, where seasonal water sources and topographic barriers dictated the movement of early travelers. The presence of Chicken Springs and Mud Springs provides critical historical context for water management in an arid environment, supporting local livestock and through-traffic. The terrain is defined by dramatic elevation changes, ranging from the heights of Tony Mtn and the Delano Mountains down into the drainage of Thousand Springs Cr. These features, alongside the 23 Mile Reservoir, illustrate how ranchers and early settlers adapted to the Great Basin's hydrology. County roads like CR-763 follow the natural contours of the land, tracing paths through Bell Canyon and past Ninemile Ridge that have likely been in use for generations.