1959 Map of Lake Berryessa

About this map

Lake Berryessa dominates this landscape, its expansive waters filling the former Berryessa Valley. This survey includes underwater contours provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, showing the submerged course of Putah Creek and its many tributary canyons. Along the western shore, the Monticello Cem sits near Sugarloaf Park, a remnant of the community displaced by the reservoir's creation. The map captures the development of mid-century recreation, with sites like Spanish Flat, Berryessa Marina, and the Steel Canyon Resort established to serve the growing number of visitors. To the east, the terrain rises sharply into the wilderness of Gosling Ridge and Rocky Ridge, where Jackson Peak and Taylor Bluffs mark the boundary between Napa and Yolo counties. Evidence of earlier land use remains in the form of the Gunn Ranch and several oil wells scattered through the canyons.