1971 Map of Big Maria Mts. NW

About this map

Rice Valley dominates this 1970s landscape, where shifting Sand Dunes meet the steep slopes of the Big Maria Mountains. Located in Riverside County, the area is defined by its arid, transitional geography between the valley floor and the high peaks of the Riverside Mountains to the northeast. Human presence is sparse, marked primarily by a network of Jeep Trails that crisscross the sandy terrain and ascend into the mountain washes. Evidence of mineral exploration appears in the southern portion of the sheet near a lone prospect, suggesting the prospecting activity common throughout this region of the California desert during the mid-20th century.