1980 Map of Escalante

About this map

The high desert canyons and tablelands of Southern Utah are captured here during a period of transition in the early 1980s. Centered on Escalante, the landscape is defined by the sharp transition between the Dixie National Forest and the vast sandstone drainage systems of the Escalante River. The map documents early infrastructure like Utah 12 and the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, the latter a critical historical corridor for local settlement. Notable landmarks including the Escalante Petrified Forest State Reserve and Kodachrome Basin State Reserve are shown alongside smaller settlements like Boulder Town and Henrieville. The topographical detail reveals the complex geomorphology of the Kaiparowits Plateau and the sheer face of the Straight Cliffs, marking a rugged intersection of federal and state-managed lands prior to later monument designations.