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1940 Map of Mt. Baden-Powell

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Mt. Baden-Powell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Big Horn Mine sits high on the southern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, a notable industrial feature in this high-altitude portion of the Angeles National Forest. Surveyed in the mid-1930s, the map reveals a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes and deep drainage systems, including Mine Gulch and Prairie Fork. The northern edge is dominated by the geological trace of the San Andreas Rift Zone Highway, which follows the structural depression where Jackson Lake and recreational sites like Camp Manzanita are located.

From the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell and nearby Throop Peak, the terrain drops precipitously into the headwaters of the San Gabriel River. The concentration of youth camps near Vincent Gap, including the Boy Scout Camp and Girl Scout Camp, indicates the area's development as a mountain retreat for the Los Angeles region during this era. The map’s focus on complex topography and isolated water sources like Lamel Spring highlights the remote nature of this wilderness before modern infrastructure further altered the backcountry.