Loading map...

1942 Map of Clark Lake

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Clark Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

The Santa Rosa Mountains and San Isidro Mountain tower over this arid landscape, where desert water sources like Hidden Springs, Clark Well, and Santa Caterina Springs dictated early settlement and travel. During the early 1940s, the region was evolving from an isolated cattle-ranching frontier into a protected wilderness, as seen in the designation of Anza Borrego State Park.

Evidence of historical habitation is scattered across the terrain, from the Old Santa Rosa Indian Ruins in the north to family-run operations such as Brinniger Ranch and Oliver Ranch. The map captures an era when the primary infrastructure consisted of specialized routes like the De Anza Trail and the Truckhaven Trail, connecting remote points like Gueyetta Meadows and the Borrego Sch before modern highways reshaped the Borrego Valley.