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1972 Map of Day Basin

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Day Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Ochoco National Forest dominates the southern reaches of this central Oregon landscape, where the high desert meets the forested slopes of the Blue Mountains. The terrain is defined by a series of steep drainages and ridges, notably Juniper Ridge and the eponymous Day Basin. A small portion of the John Day Fossil Beds Nat Mon appears in the northeast corner along Cottonwood Creek, marking a region famous for its paleontological significance.

Evidence of historical land use is sparse but specific, with the isolated Nelson Place and several descriptively named water sources such as Home Sweet Home Spring, Breathing Spring, and China Camp Spring. The network of jeep trails and pack trails crossing McClanahan Meadow and the Kangaroo Basin suggests a history of livestock grazing and early backcountry access before modern development. Numerous borrow pits scattered near the Wheeler and Grant county line indicate local materials used for maintaining the rugged roads through A and M Ridge.