1985 Map of Mount Riley SE

About this map

The international border between the United States of America and Mexico serves as the focal point of this topographic study, where the arid high desert of Doña Ana County meets the state of Chihuahua. This 1985 survey captures a stark, undeveloped landscape dominated by the volcanic forms of Mt Riley and the craggy elevations of the East Potrillo Mountains. The terrain is characterized by ephemeral hydrology and desert landmarks, including Sand Tank, a Dry Lake, and the noted Border Tphk. Because the Mexican portion of the map was synthesized from 1979 DGG manuscript drawings, this sheet provides a rare cross-border perspective of the Chihuahuan Desert during the mid-1980s, documenting a remote stretch of the frontier before modern intensification changed the character of the international boundary line.