1990 Map of Granite Mountains North

About this map

The Granite Mountains form a central spine across this landscape, dividing the Growler Valley to the east from the San Cristobal Valley to the west. This territory is strictly defined by large-scale federal land management, as seen in the overlapping boundaries of the Barry M Goldwater Air Force Range and the Cabeza Prieta Wilderness and National Wildlife Refuge. The map captures the remote character of the Sonoran Desert in the late twentieth century, where natural drainage systems like Growler Wash and San Cristobal Wash are the primary features of the arid basins. The presence of the Wilderness and Wildlife Refuge Boundary underscores the region's transition into a protected environmental corridor, while the county line between Yuma and Pima counties marks the administrative divide of this vast desert expanse.