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1959 Map of Piedras Blancas

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Piedras Blancas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Piedras Blancas Point shoreline dominates this coastal survey, where the prominent Lighthouse and Coast Guard Res stand watch over the rocky Pacific. Running parallel to the surf, the Cabrillo Highway serves as the primary artery through a landscape defined by dramatic marine terraces and steep drainage systems like Arroyo de la Cruz and Arroyo Hondo. The inland terrain rises sharply toward the Piedra Blanca mountains, reaching heights at Pine Top Mtn.

Evidence of local resource management and navigation is scattered throughout the hills, including a Gaging Station and various wells. Geodetic markers like Cinnabar VABM 594 and Yellow Hill VABM 481 provide precise reference points for this mid-century topographic study. The coastline itself is marked by distinctive geological features such as Harlech Castle Rock, the shifting Sand Dunes near Pt Sierra Nevada, and the jagged profile of La Cruz Rock.