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1953 Map of Palo Verde Mountains

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Palo Verde Mountains
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Wileys Well and Clapp Spring serve as critical water points in this arid expanse of the Colorado Desert during the early 1950s. The landscape is dominated by the volcanic profiles of the Palo Verde Mountains and the Mule Mountains, where prominent landmarks like Palo Verde Peak and Thumb Peak rise above the alluvial fans. This survey captures a network of primitive desert transportation, including the Niland Rannels Road and the Army Approximate Boundary Road, which traverse the wide drainage of Milpitas Wash.

Mineral interest is evident near the Geode Beds and various prospects scattered across the Flat Tops. The southern portion of the map is constrained by the Naval Reservation, reflecting the region's mid-century role in military training and testing. Local history researchers will find the precise placement of numerous benchmarks and the intersection of the Riverside and Imperial county line useful for tracking early desert transit routes.