1984 Map of Kelso Dunes

About this map

The Union Pacific railroad corridor anchors this high-desert landscape, passing through the small community of Kelso and the rail siding at Flynn (Siding). In the mid-1980s, this area was defined by the intersection of industrial transport and the preserved desert geography of the East Mojave National Scenic Area. The map captures a transition point where technical infrastructure, including a Pumping Station and extensive Steel Tower Trans. Lines, meets the shifting sands of the Kelso Dunes and the Devils Playground. Drainage patterns are dictated by ephemeral features like Cottonwood Wash and Winston Wash, which cut across the arid floor. This sheet is particularly useful for tracing the logistics of the railroad in the Mojave and the access provided by routes such as Kelbaker Road and the Vulcan Mine Road during this era of federal land management.