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1952 Map of Chloride Cliff

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Chloride Cliff
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Chloride Cliff towers over the stark landscape of the Funeral Mountains, marking a region defined by high-desert mining and early park administration during the mid-20th century. This 1952 field survey captures the isolated Chloride City and the Keane Wonder Mine (Abandoned), which reflect the area's hard-rock mining legacy. The transition from extraction to conservation is evident with the presence of the National Park Service Hdqrs and Park Village near the base of the range.

Water sources are critical landmarks in this arid terrain, including Nevares Springs, Hole-in-the-Rock Spring, and Keane Spring. Historical surveying and human stories are etched into the map, from the Jean Lemoigne Grave to the complex intersection of the Von Schmidt Line and Bakers Line along the Nevada California border. The topographic detail reveals the descent into the Death Valley (Depression) via Boundary Canyon and past Hells Gate.