2015 Map of Palen Pass

About this map

Palen Pass serves as the central crossing point between two prominent desert ranges in this 2015 study of the eastern Riverside County wilderness. The high terrain of the Granite Mountains dominates the northern half of the sheet, giving way to the northern reaches of the Palen Mountains to the south. The arid landscape is defined by drainage patterns like Sand Draw, which cuts through the northeast corner, and the primitive track of Palen Pass Rd that provides the primary east-west access through this remote section of the Colorado Desert. The map preserves the exact alignment of these desert corridors and the topographical transition from mountain peaks to the alluvial plains of the surrounding basins.