Loading map...

1959 Map of Sanford Ranch

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Sanford Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The Sweetwater River flows across the southern reach of this Wyoming landscape, marking a terrain defined by historic migration corridors and modern water management. The presence of the Oregon Trail Road and the Emigrant Road highlights the deep history of westward travel through Natrona County, while the Pathfinder Reservoir and the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge represent mid-twentieth-century conservation and irrigation efforts.

Remote outposts like the Sanford Ranch anchor the high-plains geography, which is punctuated by prominent landmarks such as Black Rock Mountain and Steamboat Rock. Drainage patterns are traced through Black Rock Draw and Dry Creek, leading toward ephemeral and established water bodies like Steamboat Lake and Piaya Lake. This survey captures the transition from a nineteenth-century trail landscape to a modern cattle-ranching and wildlife management area.