1966 Map of King Lear Peak

About this map

The Jackson Mountains dominate this 1966 topographic survey, rising sharply from the eastern edge of the Black Rock Desert. In this arid landscape, the economy of the mid-1960s is defined by isolated livestock outposts and mineral exploration. Winter Camp and Buckbrush Springs represent the sparse human footprint on the desert floor, while the rugged interior of the range is dotted with numerous extraction sites. Prospectors and miners targeted the slopes of King Lear Peak and Navajo Peak, leaving behind the Red Butte Mine, Stroud Mine, and Red Boy Mine. A complex network of springs, such as Hot Spring and Fish Pond Spring, provides critical water sources in a region where the Quinn River and the Slough are the primary drainage features. The map illustrates a reliance on primitive transportation, with a web of jeep trails and unnamed trails connecting these remote mines to the desert basin.