1961 Map of Paiute Ridge

About this map

Nevada Test Site operations define this Cold War landscape, where mapping in 1961 reveals the early infrastructure of atomic research and military training. This quadrangle covers the intersection of the test site with the Nellis Air Force Range and the Desert Game Range. The terrain is marked by distinctive topographic features like Slanted Buttes and Paiute Ridge, while specialized facility labels provide significant historical context. Notable sites include a Radioactive Waste Dump and Camera Station Butte Alpha, as well as the ominously named Plutonium Valley. A network of jeep trails winds through West Fork Scarp Canyon and East Fork Scarp Canyon, connecting various restricted areas such as Area 9 and Area 7. This document captures the remote desert at a time when its utility was being fundamentally reshaped by nuclear-age requirements.