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2020 Map of Horseshoe Bend

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Horseshoe Bend
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

The John Day River carves a deep path through this portion of Sherman and Gilliam counties, defining the landscape with dramatic geological formations like the iconic Horseshoe Bend. This high-desert terrain is characterized by a complex network of drainages including Buckskin Canyon and Potlatch Canyon, which feed toward the river valley. The topography rises sharply to prominent overlooks such as Adobe Point and Wolf Mtn, offering a clear view of the erosion patterns that have shaped this region over millennia.

Water sources are critical in this arid environment, marked by named points such as Horse Pasture Spring and Hatley Springs. Evidence of land management and movement is found in the sparse road network, including Dobie Pt Rd and McInnes Rd, which navigate the high ridges and deep draws. The map also captures several distinctively named features like Burned Out Canyon and North Pole Ridge, reflecting the local nomenclature used by those who worked this remote stretch of Eastern Oregon.