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1985 Map of Last Chance Range

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Last Chance Range
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Mining operations and remote desert outposts define this 1980s landscape straddling the California and Nevada border. The high-altitude terrain of the White Mountains and Last Chance Range is dotted with numerous small-scale mining prospects, including the Sylvania Mine and Buck Mine, reflecting a long history of prospecting in the Sylvania Mountains. In the valleys below, small settlements such as Bonnie Claire and Gold Point serve as geographic anchors in an otherwise arid expanse of alkali flats and washes.

The eastern portion of the map is dominated by the Nellis Air Force Range and the broad Sarcobatus Flat, while the southwest reveals the dramatic geology of the Death Valley floor. Geologic features like the Ubehebe Crater and the shifting Sand Dunes within Death Valley Wash illustrate the active erosional environment. Transportation routes are sparse, primarily following natural corridors like Oriental Wash and Lida Wash, connecting isolated mining shafts like the Dunfee Shaft to the larger region.