1951 Map of Big Maria Mts

About this map

The Big Maria Mountains dominate this California desert landscape, rising sharply between the expansive Sand Dunes of Rice Valley to the west and the life-giving Colorado River to the east. Along the river’s western bank, small outposts like River Bend Lodge and the Blythe Boat Club suggest a mid-century era of recreational river use, while the Hills Ranch indicates more permanent agricultural or pastoral activity. The Colorado River Indian Reservation occupies much of the eastern bank, marked by the Approximate Arizona-California Boundary that follows the shifting course of the river channel. Transportation is defined by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and Midland Road cutting through the arid flats, where a lone Prospect near Black Hill hints at the region's mining history.