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1959 Map of Lake Cachuma

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Lake Cachuma
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Lake Cachuma dominates this mid-century landscape, a reservoir formed by the Cachuma Dam along the Santa Ynez River. The water's surface, noted at a maximum elevation of 750 feet, branches into Cachuma Bay and Santa Cruz Bay, surrounded by the rugged slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The map captures a moment when recreation and infrastructure were firmly established, featuring the Cachuma County Park and the Lake Cachuma Recreation Area.

Cultural and historical markers are scattered across the terrain, from the Cachuma Village settlement near the dam to the Rancho San Fernando Rey in the east. High elevation landmarks like Santa Ynez Peak and the Broadcast Peak KEYT TV Tower provide navigational anchors for the southern ridges. Numerous canyons, including Happy and Tequepis, carve through the Los Padres National Forest, often accessed by primitive routes like Camino Cielo or various unnamed jeep trails.