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1988 Map of Gold Valley

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Gold Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Death Valley National Monument encompasses this arid landscape, where the high elevations of the Black Mountains descend into the desert floor. The topography is dominated by dramatic drainages like Sheep Canyon and the dry basins of Gold Valley, highlighting the extreme relief of the region. Scattered resource extraction points, labeled simply as Prospects or Gravel Pit, indicate the geologic interests that have long drawn explorers to this environment.

Water is a rare and vital feature on this 1980s provisional survey, marked by the presence of Willow Spring and the drainage of Willow Creek. These small hydrologic points contrast with the expansive Mud Alkali flats, while the summit of Smith Mountain provides a prominent landmark overlooking the valley. The map preserves the late-20th-century desert wilderness before its subsequent redesignation as a National Park.