1971 Map of Fort Steele

About this map

The North Platte River carves a critical path through the high desert of Carbon County, anchoring a landscape where military history and heavy industry meet. At the river's bend, the Fort Fred Steele (Site) marks the location of a late 19th-century frontier post established to protect the transcontinental railroad. By the early 1970s, the adjacent settlement of Fort Steele and the nearby Sinclair East Base reflect the area's continued role as a transportation and logistics corridor. The Union Pacific railroad runs parallel to the water, flanked by the Fort Steele Breaks and Saint Marys Ridge. This topography is shaped by dramatic elevation changes, from the heights of Mount Steele down to Alkali Flat. Local resource extraction is evident in the numerous Gravel Pits and a Mine located along the ridges, while a small Cem remains a quiet marker of the region's earlier residents.