1987 Map of Iris Pass

About this map

The Chocolate Mountains dominate this 1980s landscape, an area characterized by its integration into the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range. This mid-century military training ground spans the border between Riverside and Imperial Counties, where restricted access and military utility define the land use. Drainage through the arid terrain is marked by seasonal watercourses like Iris Wash, which cuts through the high-elevation basins. The map provides a look at the transition from rugged mountain peaks to the broad washes used for aerial maneuvers, recording the specialized infrastructure of a Cold War-era desert range before modern technological shifts in military surveying.