1969 Map of Richard Butte

About this map

National Reactor Testing Station lands dominate the eastern portion of this Idaho landscape, where the high desert meets the volcanic geology of Lava Ridge. This 1960s-era survey documents a period of federal research activity, marked by the extensive Station Boundary that separates the testing facility from the surrounding high-altitude terrain. The presence of Goddard Cem in the north provides a vital point of reference for genealogists and local historians, sitting just west of where Birch Creek cuts through the dry landscape. To the west, the terrain rises sharply toward Richard Butte and the rugged drainage of Kyle Canyon. Evidence of industrial exploration and land use is visible throughout the quadrangle, from the scattered Prospects in the southwest to the Borrow Pit and Gravel Pit used for local materials.