1949 Map of Cone Peak

About this map

Santa Lucia Range dominates this landscape, rising steeply toward the summit of Cone Peak and its accompanying Lookout Tower. This 1949 survey, mapped by the Army Map Service, documents a transition in land use as the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation and Los Padres National Forest consolidate vast tracts of former ranching territory. The map traces the upper reaches of the San Antonio River and Nacimiento River, which cut through deep canyons such as Hare Canyon and Wizard Gulch. Scattered outposts like The Indians, Indian Ranger Sta, and Santa Lucia Memorial Park mark the sparse human presence in this rugged interior. The placement of Avila Ranch and Merle Ranch relative to the military and forest boundaries provides a clear look at how private holdings were maintained or absorbed within federal administrative lines at the midpoint of the century.