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1981 Map of Rock Springs

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Rock Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Union Pacific railroad corridor anchors this high-desert landscape in the early 1980s, connecting industrial and residential hubs like Rock Springs and Green River. The map captures a complex industrial geography where deep-shaft mining, represented by Westvaco Shaft No 1, coexists with historic transportation routes. These modern arteries trace the same path as the Emigrant Trail and Overland Trail, which wind through the Little Colorado Desert toward the Continental Divide.

Along the western edge, the Seedskadee River National Wildlife Refuge follows the bends of the Green River, providing a stark ecological contrast to the surrounding Badlands Hills and White Mountain. Settlements like Granger, Reliance, and Superior serve as critical nodes in this Sweetwater County network, highlighting the region's enduring role as a crossroads for energy extraction and transcontinental passage.