1956 Map of Big Meadow

About this map

The Calaveras Big Trees State Park (South Grove) anchors the southwestern corner of this Sierra Nevada landscape, where the high country transitions into the dense forests of the Eldorado National Forest and Stanislaus National Forest. In the mid-1950s, this region remained a network of high-altitude summer camps and cattle range, evidenced by numerous named stations such as Cuneo Camp, Sapps Camp, and Lombardi. The mapping of Bloods Toll Sta (Site) near Bear Valley marks a historical passage through the mountains, while more remote outposts like Brown Girl Cabin and Brown Boy Cabin indicate the scattered presence of seasonal inhabitants or forest workers. The drainage patterns are dominated by the North Fork Mokelumne River and the Middle Fork Stanislaus River, which carve deep canyons through terrain marked by landmarks like Calaveras Dome and Whittakers Dardanelles. A Logging RR fragment near the North Fork Beaver Creek suggests the era's active timber industry.