1990 Map of Mooney Basin Summit

About this map

The Ruby Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in White Pine County, forming a rugged central spine between the open Newark Valley to the west and the expansive Mooney Basin to the east. By 1990, the region’s long mining history is represented by the industrial operations at the Alligator Ridge Gold Mine and numerous prospects scattered across the ridges. A significant historical corridor is preserved in the west, where the Route of Elko-Hamilton Stage Line skirts the mountain foothills, passing near the isolated Warm Springs Ranch. This survey captures a moment when modern gold extraction and ancient transport routes converged. The topography climbs from the basin floor up to the Mooney Basin Summit, while drainages like Martin Canyon and Orchard Can provide the only breaks in the arid terrain leading toward the high Alligator Ridge.