2011 Map of Mexican Mountain

About this map

The San Rafael River carves a winding path through the heart of the San Rafael Swell, creating the dramatic geological features known as Mexican Bend and the Black Box. This desert landscape is defined by the massive uplift of the San Rafael Reef and the towering presence of Mexican Mountain. The map illustrates a high-desert environment where drainage systems like Cottonwood Wash, Lost Spring Wash, and Tidwell Draw have shaped the earth over millennia, alongside broad plateaus such as Horse Heaven and Calf Mesa. Human presence is sparse in this 2011 survey, marked primarily by the lonely Smith Cabin and primitive routes like Cottonwood Wash Rd and San Rafael River Rd. These tracks follow the natural contours of the canyons and washes, providing access to the deep recesses of Nates Canyon and Spring Canyon in one of the most secluded portions of the American West.