1985 Map of Bunejug Mts.

About this map

The Pony Express Route cuts across this high desert landscape, a historical corridor preserved in a mid-1980s topographic study. This segment of Churchill County is defined by the massive, arid sinks of Eightmile Flat, Salt Wells Basin, and Star Flat, where the water table is marked by infrequent reliable points like Salt Wells and Lattin Well. The terrain is anchored by the Bunejug Mountains to the west and the Cocoon Mountains to the south, with the Pony Express Monument standing as a sentinel at Simpson Pass. The geography suggests a difficult transit for early travelers, relying on scattered water sources such as Rock Springs and Allen Springs. Modern industrial interests are hinted at by the presence of a Geothermal Well and several Borrow Pits, showing how the land's utility evolved from a 19th-century mail route to 20th-century resource extraction.