1987 Map of Whirlwind Draw

About this map

Lake Powell and the winding San Juan River dominate this landscape, illustrating the intersection of federal recreation land and tribal territory in the late 1980s. To the south, the Monument Valley Navajo Indian Reservation borders the river, while the northern banks are managed as the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The topography is defined by the sharp verticality of the Red House Cliffs and the northern Clay Hills, where numerous drainages like Whirlwind Draw and Steer Gulch carve through the high desert toward the river valley. Notable landmarks such as Nancys Pool and the Oljeto Wash provide specific points of interest for researchers studying the geographic layout of San Juan County before contemporary development. This provisional survey captures the raw state of the canyon lands, highlighting the natural barriers and water sources that dictated the use of this territory.