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1978 Map of Vieja Pass

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of Vieja Pass
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Sierra Vieja dominates this West Texas landscape, forming a dramatic escarpment that separates high mesas from deep canyon drainages. In the late 1970s, the area remained a remote ranching frontier, centered on the Miller Ranch near the Jeff Davis and Presidio County line. Water is the primary driver of development here, with naming patterns following reliable water sources like Joho Spring, Vieja Spring, and various stock tanks such as Hawkeye Tank and Borracha Tank.

The complex topography of the range is defined by numerous named cuts including Newton Canyon and Cottonwood Canyon, leading up to landmarks like Indian Peak and Star Mesa. Traces of movement through the high country are preserved in the marking of trails that lead toward Vieja Pass, while the presence of the Bobcat Canyon Windmill and Hidden Windmill highlights the infrastructure required to sustain life in this arid high-desert environment.