1971 Map of Surrender Canyon

About this map

The Navajo Indian Reservation dominates this landscape, straddling the high desert boundary where Arizona meets New Mexico. Much of the terrain is defined by dramatic erosional features like Oak Spring Valley and the eponymous Surrender Canyon, which cuts through the sandstone towards the Puerco River. Water management and transportation are central to the area's layout, seen in the Gaging Station on Black Creek and the heavy transit corridor in the southeast. Here, the tracks of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad run parallel to the modern highway infrastructure, including Bowman Memorial Park (Rest Area). A network of Jeep Trails provides the primary access to the interior plateaus and peaks like Tea Pot, reflecting a landscape that remained largely undeveloped and focused on cattle grazing and transit during the early 1970s.