2021 Map of Arica Mountains

About this map

The Arica Mountains rise sharply between the desert floor of Ward Valley to the west and Rice Valley to the east. This 2021 survey of the California desert captures a landscape defined by significant infrastructure and natural relief. The Colorado River Aqueduct cuts a purposeful line across the northern reaches of the quadrangle, passing near the settlement of Freda. This massive engineering feat, alongside the path of Cadiz Rd, illustrates the intersection of human water management and the arid terrain. The map follows the boundary between San Bernardino and Riverside counties, tracing the southern end of the range where Midland Rd skirts the foothills. The land patterns recorded here reflect the vast, open character of these inland basins, where topographic contours reveal the complex drainages and alluvial fans surrounding the central peaks.