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2021 Map of Red Desert SE

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Red Desert SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Continental Divide bisects this high desert landscape, defining a terrain of steep escarpments and interior drainage basins. The topography is dominated by the Delaney Rim and Wamsutter Rim, which create a series of natural barriers across the high plains of Sweetwater County. These elevations overlook the Red Lakes, a collection of intermittent water bodies that collect in the depressions of the basin floor.

Transport through this isolated region follows the natural contours of the land, with Delaney Rim Rd and Barrel Springs Rd providing access to the remote bluffs and hills. Grounded landmarks like Wells Bluff and Big Hill stand as prominent navigation points in an area defined more by its geology and the watershed divide than by permanent settlements. The map illustrates a classic Great Divide Basin environment where the absence of through-flowing rivers creates a unique, self-contained hydrologic system.