2015 Map of Eylar Mountain

About this map

Eylar Mountain rises as the central landmark in this 2015 study of the high ridges and deep canyons along the boundary between Alameda and Santa Clara counties. The landscape is defined by the complex drainage systems of Arroyo Valle and Arroyo Bayo, carving through dozens of named gulches and canyons. Water sources like McGlinchey Spring and Bantes Spring provided critical sustenance for the cattle ranching and homesteading history of these uplands. Traces of early land use appear in names like Coffey Mill Gulch and Horsethief Canyon, while the narrow passage of The Narrows suggests the difficult transit routes through this terrain. These names, along with landmarks such as Blackbird Valley and Strawberry Flat, offer a detailed record of the local geography as it remained well into the twenty-first century.