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1981 Map of Horseshoe Bend

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Horseshoe Bend
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Cheyenne River carves a winding path through this corner of Niobrara County, creating the prominent loop known as Horseshoe Bend. This early 1980s landscape is defined by its drainage network, where Coyote Creek feeds into the main river channel from the north while Snyder Creek and South Snyder Creek dissect the southern reaches. The map reveals an area where the primary human footprint is tied to subsurface resource exploration rather than settlement.

Energy extraction efforts are evidenced by scattered industrial markers, including an Oil Well and numerous features labeled Drill Hole or simply Well. These sites are linked by a sparse network of unimproved roads and trails that traverse the high ground between Landis Draw and the river valley. The lack of towns or public buildings underscores the isolated nature of this Wyoming cattle and oil country during the late twentieth century.