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2012 Map of Hammil Valley

Name: 2012 Topographic Map of Hammil Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2012
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2012

About this map

Hammil Valley is defined by a network of ranching homesteads and winding mountain drainages along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. The small settlement of Hammil serves as a central point for the surrounding agricultural landscape, where family-named properties like Harris Brothers Ranch, Symons Ranch, and Cashbaugh Ranch are situated near the perennial flows of Birch Cr and Lone Tree Cr. This terrain is crisscrossed by historic transit routes, including Black Rock Mine Rd and Fish Slough Rd, which follow the natural contours of the basin floor.

Inland from the valley bottom, the topography rises sharply toward Blind Spring Hill and the rugged cuts of Queen Dicks Canyon. These canyons provide the primary drainage routes for snowmelt coming off the higher elevations, feeding into Rock Cr and Pellisier Cr. The placement of Yellowjacket Spring and various ranch outposts indicates a land use pattern dictated by the availability of water in an otherwise arid high-desert environment.