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1961 Map of Parkfield

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Parkfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1993
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1993

About this map

The San Andreas Rift Zone dominates this central California landscape, cutting a distinct geological path through the terrain where the Cholame Hills meet the Diablos. In the heart of this tectonic activity lies Parkfield, a small settlement positioned directly within the rift valley. The 1961 data, revised with purple updates from 1987, shows a landscape defined by ranching and resource extraction, with features like the Rattlesnake Mine and numerous prospects scattered across Mine Mtn.

Water sources such as Sulphur Springs and Catfish Lake provide vital points of interest in an otherwise arid environment characterized by deep canyons like Bitterwater Canyon and Joaquin Canyon. The map records the local infrastructure of the era, from the winding Parkfield Grade to the Fire Control Sta and Radio Tower atop Table Mountain. For genealogists, the small Cem near the town center and family-named landforms like Flory Flat offer specific points for tracing local history.