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1943 Map of Caliente Mtn.

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Caliente Mtn.
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Soda Lake dominates the northern basin of this 1943 survey, sitting at the heart of the Carrizo Plain between the Temblor Range and the Caliente Range. The landscape is defined by vast cattle ranching operations and isolated water sources, including the Goodwin Ranch, Chimeneas Ranch, and Wellman Ranch, alongside essential desert waypoints like Turkey Camp Well and Five Willow Spring.

Along the southern edge, the Cuyama River carves a path through the canyonlands, marking the boundary between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The rugged interior is punctuated by landmarks such as Painted Rock and the high summit of Caliente Mtn, where a Lookout station oversaw the surrounding Los Padres National Forest. The map captures a moment when travel through this arid interior relied on loose-surface and dirt roads like State Route 166 before modern developments reached this part of the California backcountry.