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1940 Map of Guadalupe Peak

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Guadalupe Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Guadalupe Peak towers over the dramatic escarpment of the Guadalupe Mountains in this survey based on 1930s topography. The landscape is defined by its extreme relief, falling from the high high points of Bush Mtn and Bartlett Peak down to the vast Salt Lake flats of Crow Flats to the west. This era shows a sparse network of ranching life and early mountain tourism, anchored by isolated outposts such as Frijole, Williams Ranch, and the Old PX Ranch.

Deep canyons like North and South McKittrick Canyon provide rare riparian corridors where Pratt Lodge and Grisham Hunter Lodge were established. Significant travel landmarks like Guadalupe Pass and the distinctive limestone face of El Capitan mark the route of U.S. 62 180, while scattered improvements like Ables Well and Eclipse Well hint at the difficult work of securing water in this arid high-altitude environment.