Published in 1985 using 1984 data, the USGS quadrangle titled “Grasshopper Butte” captures a rugged corner of northeastern Wyoming with the precision and restraint characteristic of late twentieth-century American topographic mapping. Marked “provisional,” the map belongs to a practical yet fascinating category of USGS work: maps issued to make current geographic information available before every revision or field verification had been finalized. Its subject is a landscape shaped by water, relief, and open country, where Keyhole Reservoir anchors the composition and the surrounding buttes, valleys, creeks, roads, and elevation points reveal the working geography of the region. The result is both a technical document and a historical snapshot, preserving how access, land use, and recreation were understood in the mid-1980s.

The United States Geological Survey, established in 1879, became the definitive cartographic authority for mapping the nation’s terrain, mineral resources, watersheds, and public lands. By the time “Grasshopper Butte” was produced, the USGS had refined a visual language instantly recognizable to hikers, engineers, planners, geologists, and collectors: contour lines for elevation, blue hydrography for water, carefully classified roads and trails, and a disciplined hierarchy of place names and landmarks. This map reflects that institutional clarity. It was not made for ornament, yet its beauty lies in its exactitude—the clean relationship between landform and line, the calm notation of creeks and slopes, and the sense that every mark serves both navigation and understanding.

Keyhole Reservoir is the dominant feature, its waters standing out against the surrounding terrain and giving the map much of its geographical drama. Created on the Belle Fourche River system, the reservoir has long supported irrigation, local agriculture, wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation, making it one of the important water bodies of the region. Keyhole State Park, shown near the reservoir, points to the recreational identity that developed around boating, fishing, camping, and shoreline access. On the map, the reservoir is not merely a blue shape; it is the organizing force for roads, trails, drainage patterns, and nearby valleys. Its presence reveals how water infrastructure transformed an otherwise open and sparsely settled landscape.

The topographic character of the “Grasshopper Butte” quadrangle is especially engaging. Contour lines describe the rise and fall of hills surrounding the reservoir, giving form to buttes, draws, ridges, and shallow valleys that might otherwise appear featureless on a conventional road map. Various creeks thread through the terrain, linking uplands to the reservoir and illustrating the natural drainage of the area. Elevation points and named landmarks provide a measured sense of scale, while roads and trails trace human movement through ranchland, parkland, and unincorporated country. The map’s traditional color scheme separates land, water, and infrastructure with quiet efficiency, allowing the viewer to read both the physical landscape and the human imprint upon it.

As a provisional map from the 1980s, “Grasshopper Butte” has historical value beyond its immediate utility. It records a moment before later changes in land management, recreational development, conservation policy, road access, and shoreline use may have altered the experience of the place. For collectors, it offers the appeal of a USGS map at the intersection of science and regional history: a document made for accuracy, now rich with period context. For anyone drawn to Wyoming’s reservoirs, state parks, high plains, and understated topography, it presents a finely detailed portrait of a landscape where water, elevation, and access define the story. Its restrained cartography invites close looking and rewards it with a deep sense of place.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Keyhole Reservoir
• Keyhole State Park
• Various creeks
• Hills and mountains surrounding the reservoir
• Nearby valleys and unincorporated areas
• Roads and trails leading to and from local areas
• Elevation points and landmarks within the surrounding topography

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical USGS topographical map titled “Grasshopper Butte”
• Features data from 1984 and was published in 1985
• Marked as “provisional”
• Created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Shows Keyhole Reservoir, an important Wyoming water body used for recreation and irrigation
• Reflects a traditional topographic style with contour lines indicating elevation changes
• Uses a clear color scheme to differentiate between land and water
• Includes detailed elevation markings showing hills, valleys, and contours surrounding Keyhole Reservoir
• May reflect earlier land-use practices, access routes, conservation practices, and recreational usage in the area

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.