1961 Map of Buckboard Mesa

About this map

The Nevada Test Site dominates this 1961 landscape, a high-altitude desert region mapped in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission during a period of intense nuclear research. The terrain is defined by the broad Buckboard Mesa and the deep incisions of Fortymile Canyon, revealing a place where ancient history and modern defense science converge. Evidence of early human presence is marked by multiple Indian Petroglyphs and a Cave along the canyon walls, while contemporary activities are noted through several Test Sites, a Drill Hole, and an Abandoned Airstrip. Sparse water sources like Tippipah Spring and narrow routes such as Cat Trail or the Tippipah Road provide the only infrastructure in this strictly controlled Boundary Area.