1994 Map of Benton Hot Springs

About this map

Benton Hot Springs serves as the focal point of this high-desert basin, where geothermal activity and mining history intersect at the edge of the Benton Range. The settlement, complete with a local Cem, sits at the mouth of Blind Spring Valley, a landscape defined by its extractive industry as evidenced by numerous prospects and specialized Pumice Quarries. To the west, the arid expanse of Adobe Valley contains Black Lake, a significant water feature in this rain-shadow environment. The terrain rises sharply toward Lake Mountain and the high ridges of the Inyo National Forest, where deep incisions like Kelty Canyon and Klondike Canyon reveal the complex geology of the Eastern Sierra foothills. Evidence of early cattle ranching or freighting appears in labels for a Corral and Dutch along the valley floor, while a remote Mine Shaft near Watterson Meadow speaks to the region's isolated prospecting efforts.