1968 Map of Mesa Butte

About this map

Coal Cliffs and the jagged Coal Cliffs Reef dominate this high-desert landscape in central Utah, revealing a transition into a modern era of infrastructure development. At the time of this 1968 field check, a major highway was noted as being under construction across the southern half of the quadrangle, carving through Red Valley and bridging Ivie Creek. Despite these modern incursions, the map documents an older economy of resource extraction and livestock transit. The Cowboy Mine is tucked into the northern canyons, while the drainage of Muddy Creek remains the primary topographical feature, leading down to the Lone Tree Crossing and a Gaging Station. The geography is defined by prominent landforms like Mesa Butte and Sand Bench, separated by a complex network of ephemeral waterways including Christiansen Wash and Mulligan Wash.