1985 Map of The Big Knoll

About this map

Vermilion Cliffs and the elevated expanses of the Paria Plateau dominate this 1985 topographic study of northern Arizona. The landscape is defined by its dramatic verticality, rising from the Upper Soap Creek Bench toward striking landmarks like The Beehives and The Big Knoll. Water sources are critical but sparse markers in this high-desert environment, represented by reliable points such as Smokey Spring and Cottonwood Spring, along with livestock tanks like Soap Creek Tank No 2 and Joes Tank. The land's varied topography is evident in the transition from the rolling Sand Hills to the enclosed spaces of Pinnacle Valley and Cathedral Valley. This provisional map, compiled from late-1970s aerial photography, captures the remote ranching and grazing infrastructure through features like Button Tank and the scattered White Knolls.