2021 Map of Tonalea

About this map

Tonalea serves as a focal point for this high-desert landscape in the early 2020s, situated near the seasonal waters of Red Lake. The terrain is characterized by a network of significant drainage features, including the southward-reaching Porcupine Wash and Narrow Wash, alongside the prominent Elephant Feet geological formations. This area of Coconino County is defined by its infrastructure of indigenous routes, where the historic Navajo Trl intersects with modern tribal roads like Indian Rte 21 and Indian Rte 6261. The mapping reveals a sparse but vital settlement pattern centered around the Red Lake Valley, illustrating how the hydrology of Begashibito Wash dictates the placement of roads and homesteads across the varied elevations of the Colorado Plateau.