Loading map...

1988 Map of Rawlins

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Rawlins
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Rawlins serves as the focal point for this expansive late-century survey of south-central Wyoming, where the Union Pacific railroad corridor traces the historic path of the Overland Trail. The map documents a diverse high-altitude landscape, from the arid expanse of the Great Divide Basin in the west to the towering Medicine Bow Range in the east. Notable infrastructure includes the State Penitentiary near the county seat and the Municipal Airport, supporting a regional economy tied to transport and natural resources.

Water management and recreation are evident at the northern edge along the Seminoe Reservoir and throughout the North Platte River valley, where settlements like Saratoga and Encampment are situated. To the south, the Sierra Madre mountains and Medicine Bow National Forest dominate the terrain. Genealogists and historians can trace numerous small railroad sidings and settlements, such as Wamsutter, Hanna, and Medicine Bow, which define the social geography of the era.