1960 Map of Roc Creek

About this map

The Manti-La Sal National Forest dominates this 1960 revision of the Roc Creek area, where the rugged terrain of the Colorado Plateau meets an active mid-century mining economy. The landscape is defined by the high elevations of Sewemup Mesa and the long, sweeping curve of Carpenter Ridge, while the Dolores River cuts through the northeastern corner. Evidence of the region’s uranium and vanadium booms is visible in the cluster of workings such as the Rajah Mine, Redbird Mine, and the Radium Cycle Mine. These sites, alongside the Sunrise Mine in Sunrise Canyon, highlight a period when the canyon country was being intensively explored for radioactive ores. In the lower elevations, the Sinbad Valley and the Pace Ranch represent the persistent agricultural and ranching efforts that have long occupied these remote basins between the ridges.