1885 Map of East Tavaputs

About this map

The East Tavaputs Plateau and its dramatic escarpments dominate this late nineteenth-century survey of the Uinta region. To the south, the Roan or Book Cliffs and Brown Cliffs drop sharply toward the Grand River Valley, where the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad tracks follow the course of the Grand River. This early mapping effort by J.W. Powell and the Hayden Surveys illustrates a landscape defined by its watercourses, including the Green River winding through Desolation Canyon. Notable drainages like Asphalt Creek, Evacuation Creek, and Bitter Water Creek carve through the high plateaus, marking essential paths for travel and exploration along the Utah Colorado Boundary Line. The map highlights the intersection of high-altitude desert terrain and the vital river corridors that enabled regional expansion.