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2011 Map of Horsethief Canyon

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Horsethief Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

The Green River carves a winding path through the high desert of San Juan County, defining a landscape of deeply incised canyons and broad alluvial bottoms. This 2011 survey illustrates the dramatic shift from the tight meanders of Labyrinth Canyon into the beginnings of Stillwater Canyon, tracing the river's course as it passes through the western edge of Canyonlands National Park. Evidence of early human presence is marked at Fort Ruin near the bend of Fort Bottom, a location strategically placed within the river's loops.

The eastern bank is characterized by a series of flats and basins including Potato Bottom Basin, Hardscrabble Bottom, and Queen Ann Bottom, which sit beneath the towering heights of Bighorn Mesa. To the west, the arid uplands are split by Horsethief Canyon and Millard Canyon, where features like The Spur and Orange Cliffs dominate the skyline. Remote water sources such as Clydes Spring provide rare relief in this vertical terrain of sandstone and silt.