1988 Map of Turks Head

About this map

The Green River carves a dramatic oxbow around the Turks Head formation, a central landmark in this 1980s topographic survey. Flowing through Stillwater Canyon, the river creates isolated alluvial pockets such as Tuxedo Bottom at the base of soaring sandstone plateaus. The topography is defined by the sharp verticality of the White Rim and the Hogback, which separate the lower canyon floors from the high mesas of the Island in the Sky. This map documents a transitional zone of conservation and recreation, capturing the boundary where Canyonlands National Park meets the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. To the east, the Soda Springs Basin sits beneath the towering heights of Junction Butte, while the Murphy Foot trail provides one of the few named navigational routes through the broken canyon walls.