1989 Map of Rattlesnake Spring

About this map

Apache National Forest dominates this section of Greenlee County, where the high ridges of the Big Lue Mts meet a complex network of canyons and mesas. The landscape is defined by the critical importance of water in an arid environment, evidenced by the numerous named catchments and natural sources such as Gayle Tank, Rattlesnake Spring, and Buzzard Roost Spring. The topography transitions from the heights of Sunset Peak and Brushy Mountain down through deep incisions like Hamilton Canyon and Rustlers Canyon. This 1980s-era survey reveals a terrain primarily managed for resource and livestock movement, indicated by numerous tanks and the presence of Rattlesnake Gap and Sixshooter Gap. These natural passes through the Hamilton Mesa and Cold Spring Mountain provide the primary corridors through the otherwise challenging geography of the eastern Arizona backcountry.