1949 Map of Bear Canyon

About this map

Hunter Liggett Military Reservation and the Los Padres National Forest dominate this landscape, illustrating the mid-century overlap of federal land management and military activity in Monterey County. The terrain is defined by the winding course of the San Antonio River and its various tributaries, including Pinalito Creek and Mission Creek. Tracing the valley floor, the Del Venturi Road provides a central corridor through the reservation, passing near named landforms like China Gulch. The map captures the area as it stood in the late 1940s, showing early infrastructure such as a prominent Telephone Line and remote roads like Coleman Canyon Road. Sections such as Milpitas and San Miguelito reflect the localized geographic divisions within the larger forest and military boundaries, while the presence of Wizard Gulch highlights the detailed topographic surveying of these interior canyons.