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1953 Map of Ginkgo

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Ginkgo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park dominates the eastern edge of this Kittitas County landscape, where the high desert plateau drops toward the Columbia River. The terrain is defined by dramatic erosion, featuring deep channels such as Schnebly Coulee and Rocky Coulee that cut through the basalt layers. These coulees, along with named landmarks like Hells Kitchen and Hole in the Wall, illustrate the post-glacial flooding history of the region.

Water sources are vital in this arid environment, marked by isolated points like Buckhorn Spring, Lone Star Spring, and Sagebrush Spring. Higher elevations like Ryegrass Mountain and Hult Butte provide prominent overlooks above the deep drainage of Middle Canyon. This 1953 survey, later updated in 1978, shows a land primarily shaped by natural features and seasonal watercourses like Whiskey Dick Creek and Johnson Creek, with very little human infrastructure beyond the border of the state park.