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1886 Map of Kaibab

Name: 1886 Topographic Map of Kaibab
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

Powell's Plateau and the sheer verticality of the Colorado River canyon dominate this late nineteenth-century reconnaissance, conducted when much of northern Arizona remained a frontier of isolated springs and expansive plateaus. The topography reveals a landscape where survival depended on reliable water sources like Pipe Spring, Moccasin Spring, and House Rock Spring. These sites served as vital outposts for early travelers and cattlemen navigating the Kaibab Plateau and the Vermilion Cliffs near the Arizona Boundary Line.

Strategic landmarks such as Point Sublime and Shivas Temple overlook the complex drainages of Bright Angel Creek and Shinumo Creek. The map documents the vast, open stretches of House Rock Valley and Antelope Valley, illustrating the immense scale of the Coconino Plateau before the development of modern infrastructure. This survey captures the region at a time when only a few named meadows, like De Motte Park, broke the high-altitude wilderness.