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1983 Map of Mud Spring

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Mud Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Ochocco National Forest dominates the northern reaches of this Crook County landscape, where the high plateau transitions into rugged drainages. The map reveals a land defined by early ranching operations, with family-named homesteads such as Miller Ranch, Lister Ranch, and Laughlin Ranch scattered along the watercourses. These sites reflect the settlement patterns of central Oregon's high desert, where access to water from Grindstone Creek, Beaver Creek, and various springs was the primary driver of land use.

Aviation and recreation appear in the form of the Rager Airstrip and Sugar Creek Campground, indicating the mid-century integration of public land management and accessibility. Notable geological landmarks like Laughlin Table and Cordella Rim provide sharp topographic contrast to the southern draws and buttes, including Mud Spring Butte and Dorschied Butte. The mapping of Numerous Borrow Pits and gravel extractions suggests the ongoing maintenance of the rural road network in this isolated terrain.