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1984 Map of South Pass

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of South Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Emigrant Trail tracks across this high-desert landscape in the mid-1980s, following the historic path through the Continental Divide between the Wind River Range and the vast Great Divide Basin. This survey captures the region as it balanced a legacy of westward migration with industrial resource extraction, notably at the Atlantic City Mine and Franklin Mine. The terrain is defined by dramatic geological features such as the Cyclone Rim, Honeycomb Buttes, and Oregon Buttes, which provided essential landmarks for travelers long before modern infrastructure like the U.S. Steel Road appeared.

Water management in this arid environment is evident through features like John Hay Reservoir and Hay Reservoir, supporting a landscape otherwise characterized by ephemeral drainages like Alkali Draw and Pacific Creek. The transition from the high peaks of the Shoshone National Forest to the open flats of Battle Spring Flat illustrates the environmental diversity found at the southern terminus of the Wind River Range.