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1957 Map of Carrizo Mtn

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Carrizo Mtn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Carrizo Impact Area Naval Reservation occupies a significant portion of this late-1950s landscape, reflecting the military's footprint in the California desert during the Cold War. To the west, the boundary of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park runs along the San Diego and Imperial County line, framing a terrain of extreme geological diversity. The Carrizo Badlands and the steep slopes of the Coyote Mountains dominate the center of the sheet, with the summit of Carrizo Mtn providing a primary landmark for surveyors and aviators.

Evidence of early desert travel is preserved via the Imperial Highway, marked by the Imperial Highway Monument. While the environment appears harsh, names like Fossil Canyon suggest a rich paleontological history, and drainage systems such as Carrizo Creek and Palm Canyon Wash indicate the seasonal water routes that shaped this arid topography. Sparse human activity is further noted by occasional prospects and a network of Jeep Trails cutting through the wash country.