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1965 Map of Moab

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Moab
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Colorado River and Green River dominate this 1960s landscape, converging south of the Island in the Sky plateau. The map captures the region during a period of significant extraction, explicitly labeling areas of Uranium and vanadium mining that fueled the local economy. From the high peaks of the La Sal Mountains, including Mt Peale, the terrain drops into the dramatic red rock formations of Arches National Monument and the deep cut of Lockhart Canyon.

Infrastructure is anchored by the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad, which skirts the northern edge near Thompson and Cisco. The transition from the high Uncompahgre Plateau in Colorado to the canyonlands of Utah is marked by small riverside settlements like Gateway and Dewey. This survey provides a look at the desert before the expansion of modern tourism, focusing on the working landscape of cattle pastures like Arth Pasture and the mining towns of the Paradox Valley.