2011 Map of Purcell Spring

About this map

Texas Creek and Eighteenmile Creek define the drainage of this Lemhi County landscape, where water sources were critical for high-desert navigation and cattle ranching. The map shows a network of vital watering points including Cold Spring, Purcell Spring, and Nez Perce Spring, which served as anchors for early movement through the region. This terrain is marked by significant topographical features such as Big Dry Gulch and Little Dry Gulch, indicating a seasonally arid environment. Forest Service access is preserved through routes like Nat For Dev Rd 212, while older paths like the NFO 212 Trl trace established corridors between the peaks and the valley floors. These springs and named creeks like Negro Green Creek highlight the specific locations where surveyors and early inhabitants found reliable water in a landscape of intermittent flows.