2014 Map of Rye Patch Canyon

About this map

Rye Patch Canyon and the expansive northern basin of Duck Flat define this section of the High Rock Desert region in Washoe County. The landscape is marked by a complex system of drainage and seasonal water sources, including the long reach of Duck Flat Wash and the isolated Steer Lake to the west. Evidence of human movement through this arid environment is recorded in primitive routes like the Duck Lake Loop and Buckhorn Rd, which skirt the edges of deep topographical cuts such as Cedar Canyon and Smokey Canyon. This 2014 survey documents the enduring physical character of the Great Basin, where named locations like Willow Springs represent critical historical landmarks for navigation and survival in a terrain otherwise dominated by the sharp elevation changes of Chicken Canyon.