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1956 Map of Big Sur

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Big Sur
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and the surrounding reaches of the Los Padres National Forest define this mid-century coastal landscape. The map details the transition from the Pacific Ocean shoreline, including The California Sea Otter State Game Refuge, into the steep drainages of the Little Sur River and Big Sur River. Settlement is sparse, represented by the coastal village of Big Sur and isolated outposts like Comings Cabin or Pico Blanco Boy Scout Camp.

Topographical details highlight the era's backcountry access through the Coast Road and a network of interior paths such as the Skinner Ridge Trail and Ventana Trail. Named peaks like Bixby Mtn, Pico Blanco, and Manuel Peak provide clear landmarks for researchers tracing the early configuration of recreational and wilderness boundaries before modern developments altered the access points to these canyons and ridges.