1954 Map of Hatch Point

About this map

The Colorado River carves a dramatic path through this high desert plateau, forming the iconic Goose Neck and passing beneath the heights of Dead Horse Point. This mid-century survey, conducted with cooperation from the Atomic Energy Commission, documents a landscape of immense geologic scale where the high plains of Hatch Point drop away into the expansive Shafer Basin and Lockhart Basin. The map captures an era of early industrial exploration in the canyon country, noted by Oil Wells and a Landing Strip situated on the remote flats. Seasonal water sources like Dripping Spring and Kane Springs provide the only reliable moisture in a world of sandstone fins and deep drainages, including the formidable labyrinth of Behind the Rocks.