1961 Map of Buckboard Mesa

About this map

Nevada Test Site operations define this Cold War landscape, where scientific infrastructure meets ancient history. The map documents multiple Test Sites, a Drill Hole, and specialized facilities situated across the flat expanse of Buckboard Mesa. Below these plateaus, the terrain drops sharply into the winding reaches of Fortymile Canyon. While the era was defined by atomic research, the survey also captures indelible traces of much earlier inhabitants, marking several locations of Indian Petroglyphs and a Cave along the canyon walls. Transportation through this restricted zone is limited to specialized routes like Tippipah Spring Road and the Shoshone Trail, which navigate the complex network of drainage systems including Brushy Canyon and Cat Canyon. This document reveals a unique moment where mid-century defense needs were mapped over the long-standing physical and cultural geography of the high desert.