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1954 Map of Clay Hills

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Clay Hills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The San Juan River defines the southern portion of this landscape, winding past the Navajo Indian Reservation boundary. In the early 1950s, this area of San Juan County remained largely defined by its dramatic topographic barriers and sparse riverside outposts. Near the water, small settlements like Rockhouse and Piute Farms sit adjacent to the irrigated flats of the river bottom, while the Clay Hills Crossing provides a rare point of transit across the river's path.

Further north, the massive Clay Hills Cliffs and Red House Cliffs create formidable natural walls, separating the Steer Pasture from the deep drainages of Moqui Canyon and Castle Canyon. Isolated water sources such as Burnt Spring, Irish Green Spring, and Nancys Pool are the only lifelines in this arid terrain. For researchers, the map captures a moment when travel relied on unimproved dirt tracks and remote landing strips, long before the region saw significant modern development.