Loading map...

1971 Map of Stillwell Crossing

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Stillwell Crossing
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The Rio Grande carves a sharp international boundary through this 1971 survey of Brewster County, delineating the frontier between Texas and Coahuila. This arid landscape is defined by its isolation and the logistical realities of the border, featuring the US Customs Gerstacker Bridge (Toll) and the Stillwell Crossing Ford. The map captures a transition point where the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area meets the northernmost reaches of Big Bend National Park, characterized by a sparse network of ranching and utility infrastructure.

Evidence of remote habitation and transit is visible at Adams Ranch, supported by a nearby Landing Strip and the winding Stillwell Crossing Road. Dramatic desert topography is named through features like Sierra Larga and the deep incisions of Driftwood Canyon and Horse Canyon. Small-scale resource extraction is noted at a Gravel Pit and Quarry, while numerous tanks and jeep trails suggest a landscape managed for both wildlife and livestock in one of the most secluded corners of the American Southwest.