2019 Map of Herds Pass

About this map

The high desert terrain of the Trans-Pecos comes into sharp focus at Herds Pass, where the landscape is defined by a complex network of canyons and peaks along the Culberson County and Jeff Davis County line. Ranching infrastructure dominates the hydrology of this arid environment, evidenced by the numerous catchment points such as Head-of-the-Canyon Tank, Buzzard Roost Tank, and Fish Tank. The northern reaches of the sheet are anchored by Horse Camp Peak and Music Mtn, rising above the winding corridors of Boracho Canyon and China Draw. Local transport relies on a web of unpaved tracks, including Broken Tank Rd and Fence Post Rd, which navigate the rugged drainages of Twomile Canyon and Threemile Canyon. This survey captures the traditional land use patterns of West Texas, where water security at sites like Herds Pass Spring dictated the placement of camps and livestock stations.