1968 Map of Notches Dome

About this map

Notches Dome dominates this Natrona County landscape, serving as the central geologic feature in a territory defined by resource extraction and livestock movement. By the late 1960s, the Oil Field at the heart of the dome was supported by a network of industrial infrastructure, including numerous Drill Holes, a Flowing Well, and the Notches Road. The survey reveals a landscape adapted for high-desert utility, where the Cottonwood Stock Trail and Lester Road Trail cross arid expanses like Ralston Flats and Cactus Flat. Significant drainage systems such as Okie Draw and Cave Gulch carve through the terrain, while Lester Lake provides a rare water source in the northern reaches. This document is a precise record of Wyoming's mid-century petroleum development and the enduring paths used by ranching operations.