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1968 Map of Sooner Bench

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Sooner Bench
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Straight Cliffs and Fifty Mile Mountain dominate this corner of the Utah desert, marking a dramatic geological transition at the edge of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The landscape is a network of arid washes and high plateaus, where survival often centers on isolated water sources like Fortymile Spring, Cottonwood Spring, and the Pole Well.

Remote jeep and pack trails provide the only infrastructure through the canyonlands, connecting landmarks such as Dance Hall Rock and Sooner Rocks. The presence of Cave Point and Cave Spring suggests the historic use of natural shelters in the sandstone cliffs. This 1968 survey documents the area's geography just as the recreation area was being established, capturing the intersection of the Sooner Bench and the deepening drainages of Willow Gulch and Carcass Wash.