1980 Map of Mormon Dan Peak

About this map

The Calico Hills dominate the western landscape of this northwestern Nevada region, where the rugged terrain drops sharply away toward the expansive alkali flats of the Black Rock Desert to the east. This 1980 survey, based on mid-1970s fieldwork, captures a transition zone between high desert peaks and the basin floor. Settlement is non-existent, defined instead by the sparse water sources critical for survival and livestock in this arid environment, including Mormon Dan Spring and the curiously named Whiskey Spring and Barrel Spring. The boundary between Humboldt and Pershing counties bisects the map horizontally, cutting across Copper Canyon and the slopes of Mormon Dan Peak. A Flowing Well in the south suggests the limited human infrastructure present at the time, providing a clear view of the territory's remote character before late-century changes.