1957 Map of Painted Gorge

About this map

The Overland Stage Route cuts diagonally across the arid flats of the West Mesa, marking a historic transportation corridor through the Imperial Valley as it appeared in the late 1950s. To the west, the complex topography of the Coyote Mountains rises abruptly, featuring the namesake Painted Gorge and a network of jeep trails winding through the desert canyons. The landscape transitions from these peaks down into the Yuha Desert and along the broad, sandy expanse of Coyote Wash. Commercial activity and military utility are evident through the presence of several Gravel Pits and the expansive Carrizo Impact Area Naval Reservation occupying the northern reaches of the quadrangle. The southern edge is defined by the critical transit line of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern railroad, which parallels the path of Palm Canyon Wash.