1941 Map of McPherson Peak

About this map

McPherson Peak and the high ridges of the Los Padres National Forest dominate this 1941 landscape, where the boundary between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties follows the winding course of the Cuyama River. The map captures a transition from the agricultural operations of the Hinsdale Ranch and Grey Ranch in the north toward the protected wilderness of the San Rafael Primitive Area. The interior is marked by cattle-country features like the Montgomery Potrero and the distinctive geological formation known as Hurricane Deck. Cultural footprints of the era are visible at the Wasioja Sch and the White Oaks Guard Station, alongside scattered water sources like Hog Pen Spring and Dripping Spring that sustained early ranching and forestry efforts in this isolated part of the California coast ranges.