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1995 Map of Pfeiffer Point

Name: 1995 Topographic Map of Pfeiffer Point
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2000
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2000

About this map

The Pacific Ocean coastline dominates this 1995 revision, where the dramatic interface of the Santa Lucia Range meets the sea. Centered on the designated California Sea Otter State Game Refuge, the landscape is a mosaic of protected lands including the Los Padres National Forest and Big Sur State Park. The map documents the localized human footprint in this environment, showing the clustered buildings at Posts, the Resort, and the Big Sur Multiagency Facility.

The flow of the Big Sur River through its namesake valley creates a narrow corridor of development amidst the vast Ventana Wilderness. Notable coastal landmarks such as Cooper Point, Pfeiffer Point, and the offshore Pfeiffer Rock anchor the shoreline. Inland, the elevation rises sharply toward Pine Ridge, while deep cuts like Sycamore Canyon and Graves Canyon define the drainage patterns of the coastal mountains.