1886 Map of Henry Mountains

About this map

The Henry Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in southern Utah, rising as a series of isolated peaks including Mt Pennell, Mt Hillers, and Mt Holmes. This 1880s survey, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey under Director J.W. Powell, illustrates the complex drainage systems and geological structures before modern infrastructure altered the region. The dramatic Water Pocket Fold snakes through the center, while the Colorado River carves its way through Cataract Canyon at the junction of the Fremont River. To the south, the deep winding channels of the Escalante River and San Juan River converge. The map documents the vast, unpopulated terrain of late 19th-century Garfield, Kane, and San Juan counties, where natural landmarks like Navajo Mt and Monument Valley served as the primary navigational anchors.