2011 Map of Ray Mesa

About this map

The high plateau of Ray Mesa dominates this landscape along the Utah-Colorado border, a region defined by its intense history of mineral extraction. Dozens of mining claims are scattered across the canyons and draws, particularly concentrated around the drainage of Lion Creek and La Sal Creek. Names like the Uranium Girl Mine, Vanadium Queen Mine, and Black Hat Mine point to the mid-twentieth-century uranium and vanadium booms that shaped the economy of the Colorado Plateau. The terrain is deeply incised by features such as Trinity Canyon, Pole Spring Canyon, and Lion Canyon, creating a complex vertical landscape where miners sought ore veins in the canyon walls.