1961 Map of Paiute Ridge

About this map

Nevada Test Site operations dominate this Cold War era landscape, surveyed in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission. The map captures a high-stakes military and scientific environment across portions of Area 9, Area 7, and Area 11. Notable landmarks such as a Radioactive Waste Dump and the ominous Plutonium Valley underscore the specialized purpose of this high-desert terrain. Beyond the technological infrastructure, the natural topography is defined by the Paiute Ridge and the Slanted Buttes, which rise above the expansive Yucca Flat. In the eastern section, the Nellis Air Force Range and the Desert Range provide a stark contrast to the development found near Camera Station Butte. This document records a pivotal moment when the remote basins of Nye County were repurposed for nuclear testing and aerospace research.