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1971 Map of Terlingua

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Terlingua
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Terlingua and Study Butte anchor this desert landscape, captured just as the region’s mercury mining legacy transitioned into the early days of modern tourism. Numerous locations marked Mines and Mine dot the slopes of the Reed Plateau and surrounding peaks, legacies of the Chisos Mining Company era. The infrastructure of this industrial past is visible through labels for an Aerial Tramway and scattered Ruins near the settlements.

The presence of the Terlingua Landing Strip and the proximity of Big Bend National Park to the south suggest a landscape in flux, where old mining trails and the drainage of Terlingua Creek meet the emerging park boundaries. Landmarks like Sawmill Mountain, Maverick Mountain, and the Rattlesnake Mountains provide a topographic record of the Big Bend backcountry before significant modern development altered these remote outposts.