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1889 Map of Long Valley

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Long Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1889
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1889

About this map

Long Valley and the surrounding high desert of northwestern Nevada are shown here during a transitional period of frontier history. Surveyed by J.W. Powell and his geographers, the map documents a landscape defined by seasonal water sources and early military presence. Notable among these is Camp McGarry, noted here as abandoned, which once served as a vital outpost for travelers on the Applegate Trail and other emigrant routes.

The presence of numerous hydrologic features such as Massacre Lakes, Summit Lake, and New Year Lake highlights the importance of water management in this arid environment. The map details complex terrain stretching from Duck Flat to the Arm of Black Rock Desert, including named canyons like Yellow Rock Canon and High Rock Canon. This survey serves as a fundamental record of the high desert before modern infrastructure, capturing a time when the region relied on Hot Springs and remote meadows like Soldier Meadows.