1986 Map of Dry Bone Canyon

About this map

Cottonwood Mountains rise dramatically along the western edge of Death Valley National Monument in this 1980s topographic study. The landscape is defined by the severe drainage patterns of Dry Bone Canyon, which cuts eastward through the high peaks toward the valley floor. The map illustrates the desolate hydrological network of the Mojave Desert, where seasonal runoff channels like Death Valley Wash carve deep into the alluvial fans. This survey captures the terrain prior to the 1994 expansion and redesignation of the area as a National Park, preserving the specific boundaries and designations of the original National Monument era. The intricate contour lines detail the extreme elevation shifts and narrow canyons characteristic of the Great Basin’s desert topography.