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1961 Map of Cholame Hills

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Cholame Hills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Cholame Hills rise sharply between the Cholame Valley and the western canyons in this 1961 record of the Monterey and San Luis Obispo county line. This interior landscape is defined by its seasonal hydrology and early cattle-country infrastructure, featuring numerous water sources like Todds Spring, Willow Spring, and Square Corral Spring that supported remote outposts such as Cottonwood Camp.

The terrain is dissected by an intricate network of drainages including Hog Canyon, Keyes Canyon, and Shimmin Canyon, while high points are marked by survey stations like Mason VABM 2446. Transportation through these ridges was limited to the Pine Trail and several unnamed jeep trails, illustrating the isolation of the region before significant modern development. The presence of Covington Lake and the winding course of Cholame Creek highlight the vital role of water in navigating and settling this portion of the California Coast Ranges.