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1988 Map of Spanish Bottom

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Spanish Bottom
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Canyonlands National Park dominates this 1980s landscape at the confluence of the Green River and the Colorado River. This remote interior of the Colorado Plateau reveals a complex geologic story where Stillwater Canyon gives way to the turbulent Cataract Canyon just below Spanish Bottom. The map provides a remarkable level of detail for wilderness navigation, noting natural arches like Muffin Arch and Beehive Arch, alongside striking vertical formations such as the Chocolate Drops and Chimney Rock.

Southwest of the river junction, the intricate network of canyons known as the Maze transitions into the high-desert expanse of Ernies Country. Notable landmarks like The Doll House and the Land of Standing Rocks highlight the erosional patterns of the White Rim Sandstone. Geologic features like The Grabens and Cyclone Canyon near the eastern boundary illustrate the unique structural subsidence of this desert region.