1987 Map of Scorpion Gulch

About this map

The Escalante River carves a deep, winding path through the center of this landscape, its tight meanders defining the drainage patterns of the high desert plateau. Within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the terrain is dominated by high mesas and deep incisions, such as Middle Moody Canyon and East Moody Canyon, which feed into the main river system from the north. The southern portion of the sheet is marked by the eponymous Scorpion Gulch, crossing the boundary between Garfield and Kane Counties. On the western edge, the elevated plateaus of Baker Bench and East Baker Bench overlook the river valley, illustrating the stark topographic transitions of this remote corner of Utah. This map represents a moment in the late 1980s when the region's wilderness character was meticulously documented through aerial photography and field checks.