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1988 Map of Opal Mountain

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Opal Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Opal Mountain and the surrounding Mojave Desert high country are defined by a network of four-wheel-drive tracks and scattered mineral exploration sites. This late twentieth-century survey reveals a landscape focused on resource potential, with numerous Prospects and a Quarry located near the rugged slopes of Black Mountain. To the north, the terrain drops into the Superior Valley, where the ephemeral Superior Lake and the arid Slocum Well illustrate the challenging water conditions of the San Bernardino County interior.

Local history and geologic interest converge at Inscription Canyon, while the presence of a Spring near the mountain base suggests one of the few natural water sources in the area. The map's layout, dominated by 4wd trails and topographic relief, is characteristic of the remote reaches of California's high desert during this era, documenting a region used primarily for mining and backcountry transit.