2014 Map of Cold Creek

About this map

Toiyabe National Forest dominates the southern half of this landscape, where the rising elevations of the Spring Mountains meet the high desert floor. Crucial water sources define the limited human footprint in this arid environment, with Cold Creek Spring, McFarland Spring, and the colorfully named Whisky Spring providing the necessary hydrology for survival and settlement. The transition from the Mojave Desert into the mountain canyons is sharp, marked by the deep incisions of McFarland Canyon and Macks Canyon. A sparse network of roads, including Cold Creek Rd and Cedar Dr, provides the only access through the alluvial fans and onto the slopes of Indian Ridge. The map illustrates the fundamental relationship between reliable springs and the placement of roads in the Great Basin, tracing the thin line of water that sustains this pocket of Clark County.