1979 Map of Carson Sink

About this map

The Carson Sink defines this high-desert basin, where the Humboldt River and Carson River terminate in a vast expanse of alkali flats and sand dunes. By the late 1970s, the landscape was a complex mosaic of conservation and military use, featuring the Fallon National Wildlife Refuge and a large US Navy Bombing Target Area centered on Lone Rock. To the west, the Southern Pacific railroad skirts the Hot Springs Mountains, connecting remote sidings like Huxley and Parran. Cultural history is anchored by the Lovelock Indian Caves and Ocala Indian Cave, while the mineral-rich slopes of the Trinity Range and Stillwater Range are dotted with legacy operations such as the Copper Queen Mine and Silver Ridge Mine. The town of Stillwater serves as the primary outpost near the intricate wetlands of the Stillwater Wildlife Management Area.