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1953 Map of Gold Butte

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Gold Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Gold Butte sits at the heart of this desert landscape, surrounded by a complex network of mining claims and rugged mountain ridges. The 1953 field check documents a high concentration of mineral exploration, featuring the Gold Butte Mine, Tramp Mine, and the Lincoln Mine tucked along the slopes of Tramp Ridge. These operations were served by a series of unimproved roads and trails that linked isolated outposts like the Black Jack Mine and Granite Spring Mine to a remote landing field located in the valley near Paradise Gap.

To the east, the terrain descends from the Virgin Mountains toward the Lake Mead National Recreational Area. The map captures the shoreline of Grand Wash Bay as it appeared shortly after the creation of the reservoir, illustrating the intersection of the natural desert drainages like Grand Wash with the rising waters of the Colorado River system. Geologic landmarks such as the Devils Throat and the high summit of Mica Peak dominate the southern portion of the sheet.