2014 Map of McMahon Ridge

About this map

McMahon Ridge and the surrounding high desert of the Great Basin define this topographical survey of central Nevada. The terrain is dominated by the volcanic forms of Kendall Mtn and Black Butte, which rise sharply above the southern landscape near the entrance to the Ralston Desert. Running through the center of the quadrangle, the prominent drainage of Big Wash illustrates the region’s hydraulic patterns, where seasonal runoff carves deep channels through the arid basin floor. Infrastructure in this remote area is sparse, consisting primarily of the north-south corridor of Us-95 and utility access via Power Line Rd. The boundary between Esmeralda and Nye counties bisects the eastern portion of the map, marking a political division in an otherwise continuous landscape of desert scrub and stony ridges.