1932 Map of Las Flores

About this map

The Santa Monica Mountains dominate the landscape in this 1932 edition, where the transition from steep canyon ridges to the edge of Santa Monica Bay is meticulously charted. Along the coast, the State Highway serves as the primary artery connecting shoreline outposts like Malibu Beach and Big Rock before the era of intensive coastal development. The canyon systems, including Carbon Canyon and Topanga Canyon, reveal a pattern of early rural holdings and recreational retreats such as Stunts Ranch, Crater Camp, and Monte Nido. These features suggest a period when the area was valued for its rugged isolation and ranching roots rather than as a suburban extension of Los Angeles. The topography captured by surveyors J.E. Rockhold and R.T. Evans highlights the complex drainage network of Malibu Creek and its many tributaries that carved the modern geography of the Malibu region.