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2023 Map of McGuire Ridge

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of McGuire Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

McGuire Ridge and the complex drainage systems of the Mendocino-Sonoma border dominate this landscape. The map details the intricate divide where the North Fork Gualala River and South Fork Gualala River carve through high coastal ridges including Gualala Mtn and Johnny Woodin Ridge. Topographic clearings such as Lowrey Openings, Cox Opening, and Peachtree Flat suggest small-scale human footprints in an otherwise heavily forested terrain.

Evidence of local geography and historical land use is visible in named features like School Ridge and McKenzie Grade Ridge, which follow the natural contours above Rockpile Creek and Robinson Creek. The boundary between Mendocino and Sonoma counties bisects the sheet, separating the upland interior from the northern reach of the Sea Ranch area. From Inman Rock in the north to Stanley Ridge in the south, the map documents a series of ridges—Fisher Ridge, Yellow Hound Ridge, and Brandt Ridge—that defined the movement of early settlers and timber operators across this coastal range.