Published in 1981 by the United States Geological Survey, “Payson, Arizona” presents the high country north and east of the Phoenix basin with the precision and authority that made USGS topographic mapping indispensable. At a 1:100,000 scale, it balances regional breadth with practical detail, placing Payson and Strawberry within a broader landscape of mesas, canyons, forests, valleys, and desert approaches. The map captures central Arizona at a moment when recreation, forestry, water management, and expanding settlement were all reshaping the relationship between people and terrain. Its systematic lettering, color-coded relief, road classifications, hydrography, and symbol key reflect late twentieth-century federal cartography: clear, disciplined, and designed to make complex country legible without diminishing its rugged drama.

The terrain around Strawberry and Payson is the map’s great subject. Contour lines gather tightly around ridges, peaks, escarpments, and canyon walls, revealing the abrupt elevation changes that define the Mogollon Rim region and its neighboring uplands. Forested areas, shaded relief, and drainage patterns convey a landscape of pine-covered plateaus cut by valleys and streams, where movement is shaped as much by topography as by roads. The Verde River and East Verde River, along with numerous smaller washes and tributaries, thread through the sheet as essential corridors of life in an otherwise demanding environment. For hikers, geologists, hunters, and historians, the map reads almost like a field guide to the physical structure of central Arizona.

The US Geological Survey brought more than a century of institutional experience to this map, and its craftsmanship is evident in the quiet intelligence of the design. Founded in 1879, the USGS was charged with mapping the nation’s lands, resources, and geologic character, and its topographic sheets became foundational tools for government agencies, engineers, scientists, land managers, and outdoor travelers. Here, that tradition appears in the careful hierarchy of information: settlements such as Payson, Strawberry, Apache Junction, and Jontó are set within the larger ordering systems of forest boundaries, county lines, transportation routes, wilderness areas, and watercourses. Nothing is ornamental in the usual sense, yet the disciplined arrangement produces a visual elegance rooted in utility and exact observation.

Historically, the map offers a valuable portrait of Arizona in the early 1980s, before later decades of population growth, tourism infrastructure, wildfire history, and ecological change altered many communities and landscapes. Payson and Strawberry appear as mountain settlements tied to roads, forests, ranching histories, and the recreational appeal of cooler elevations above the desert. Tonto National Forest dominates much of the geography, emphasizing federal land stewardship in a region prized for timber, grazing, wildlife, and outdoor access. Remnants of mining activity and scattered trails hint at earlier waves of exploration and extraction, while the proximity of Phoenix and Maricopa County underscores the growing connection between metropolitan Arizona and its upland retreat landscapes.

Among the most compelling features shown are the great natural contrasts of central Arizona: the forested heights of the Payson country, the rugged reaches near Mount Ord, the deep-cut drainages of Black Canyon, and the wider transitions toward the Verde Valley and the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. The map situates roads and trails within this dramatic relief, making clear why routes developed along certain valleys, passes, and river corridors. Its depiction of wilderness, national forest, towns, peaks, and streams gives the sheet both scientific authority and narrative richness. It is a document of place at a specific historical moment, but also an enduring visualization of Arizona’s extraordinary vertical landscape, where desert margins rise into wooded mountains and remote canyons.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Strawberry, Arizona
• Jontó
• Tonto National Forest
• Maricopa County
• Black Canyon
• Apache Junction
• Payson
• Mount Ord
• Verde Valley
• Sierra Ancha Wilderness
• Phoenix
• Verde River
• East Verde River
• Various roadways and trails indicated throughout the area
• Forested areas and remnants of historical mining sites
• Other nearby geographical features such as peaks and valleys

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
• Created in 1981.
• Historical 1:100,000 topographical map of Payson, Arizona, Strawberry, and the surrounding area.
• Features mountainous and forested regions of central Arizona.
• Uses color coding to represent elevation and terrain features.
• Includes contour lines and shading to show mountain ranges, valleys, and elevation changes.
• Cartographic elements are methodically arranged, with a detailed key for interpreting map symbols.
• Reflects geographical knowledge and land use in Arizona during the early 1980s.
• Provides insight into landscapes that may have experienced ecological or developmental change since publication.
• Topographical details are clearly delineated, supporting outdoor, geological, and regional exploration.

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 36x20in (90x50cm) 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.