1954 Map of Stinking Spring Creek 4 NW

About this map

Sinbad Country dominates this mid-century preliminary topography of Emery County, Utah, where the arid landscape is defined by the deep erosional cuts of the Swell and Rafael landforms. The intricate drainage network of North Temple Wash and South Temple Wash illustrates the geological complexity of the San Rafael region during the early 1950s. A solitary Airstrip and BM 5302 provide rare evidence of human infrastructure in a territory otherwise marked by prominent natural landmarks like Flat Top. This 1953 mapping effort, derived from aerial photographs taken just years earlier, preserves the original topographic character of this high desert terrain before later infrastructure developments. The dense contour work reveals the sharp elevation changes and dry watercourses such as Wild Horse Wash that shaped early navigation through the heart of the San Rafael Swell.