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1952 Map of Notom 4 NE

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Notom 4 NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Notom sits at the edge of a striking landscape where the desert floor meets the rising elevations of Tarp Mesa and Notom Bench. This early 1950s survey details a region defined by its drainage systems, from the course of Pleasant Creek in the northwest to the intricate network of Burro Wash and Cottonwood Wash that carve through the high plateaus. The placement of Tenison Flats and the evocatively named Bloody Hands Gap suggests a geography once navigated by stockmen and early travelers, long before modern infrastructure arrived.

The topography transitions from the open flats of Sandy Creek to the steep eastern escarpment. Local landmarks like The Notch and Blind Trail Wash provide essential orientation in this desert environment. Published as a preliminary edition based on 1951 aerial photography, the map serves as a primary record of the terrain across the border of Wayne and Garfield counties before the area was more widely developed for recreation.