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1958 Map of Parting of the Ways

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Parting of the Ways
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Continental Divide crests across the northern reaches of this high-desert landscape, where the paths of nineteenth-century westward expansion converge and split. At the famous Emigrant Trail (Parting of the Ways), travelers faced the critical choice between the Sublette Cutoff or continuing toward Fort Bridger. The map documents the enduring footprint of these migrations, showing the Lander Cutoff and the Lander Pinedale Stage Road traversing the drainages of Dry Sandy Creek and Pacific Creek.

Evidence of early ranching and frontier communication is preserved through the Dry Sandy Stage and Pony Express Sta Site and the McCann Ranch Historical Site (Stage Sta). The terrain transitions from the heights of the Prospect Mountains to the lower cattle country around Juel Ranch and Rollins Bottom. While the Emigrant Trail remains a primary landmark, modern adaptations appear in the form of scattered oil wells and a private airstrip, marking the mid-century intersection of pioneer heritage and emerging energy interests.