2023 Map of Portage

About this map

The Malad Valley serves as a critical agricultural and cultural corridor along the Utah-Idaho border, where the Malad River and the Samaria Lake Canal provide essential irrigation for the surrounding plains. This landscape is defined by its deep roots in the Shoshone and pioneer histories, anchored by the Northwestern Shoshoni Tribal Cem near Washakie. To the east, the terrain rises sharply into the Caribou National Forest, where peaks like Clarkston Mtn and Gunsight Peak overlook complex drainages including Elgrove Canyon and Castlegate Canyon. The settlement pattern follows the base of the West Hills, with the towns of Portage and Plymouth connected by the modern corridor and the older paths of the Old Hwy. Numerous family and historic burying grounds, such as the Early Plymouth Cem, are scattered across the valley floor, marking generations of residence in this high mountain basin.