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1959 Map of Earthquake Valley

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Earthquake Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Old Overland Stage Route cuts a diagonal path across this desert landscape, tracing a historic transportation corridor through the eastern San Diego County mountains during the late 1950s. This survey centers on the intersection of travel ways and rugged geology, notably at Scissors Crossing where the valley floor transitions into the heights of Grapevine Mtn and Sentenac Mtn. The presence of the San Felipe-Butterfield Stage Station Historical Marker underscores the area's significance as a former lifeline for Western mail and passengers.

Within the protected boundaries of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the map reveals more than just terrain; it documents the human footprint from the Yaquitepec Site on Ghost Mtn to the remote Blair Valley Ranger Sta. Water, though scarce, dictates the local geography at Sentenac Cienaga and along the seasonal Vallecito Wash. For those tracking old trails, the Chuckwalla Trail and several scattered Prospect sites offer a look at the desert's history of transit and exploration.