2024 Map of Coffin Buttes

About this map

Coffin Buttes and the prominence of Jacks Lookout dominate this prairie landscape where Grant, Adams, and Hettinger counties meet. The terrain is defined by these high points and the intermittent drainage systems of Brushy Creek and Alkali Creek, which carve through the plains. A strictly organized grid of section-line roads, including 85th St SW and 82nd St SW, illustrates the enduring influence of the Public Land Survey System on North Dakota's rural geography. To the north, Pretty Rock Lake provides a rare permanent water feature in an area otherwise characterized by high-elevation buttes and seasonal draws. This map captures the vast, open character of the region as it remains today, highlighting the topographic features that have served as landmarks for generations of ranchers and land managers.