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1987 Map of Pilot Knob

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Pilot Knob
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Naval Weapons Center dominates this high-desert landscape in San Bernardino County, where restricted military use and remote terrain converge. The sheet is defined by the massive elevation of Robbers Mountain in the north and the namesake peak of Pilot Knob further south, creating a corridor of steep vertical relief. These peaks overlook a network of 4wd tracks that represent the only modern infrastructure in this arid environment.

Evidence of early water sources and human activity appear at Granite Wells and Lead Pipe Spring, vital points for anyone traversing these basins. A single Prospect near Pyramid Point and a Corral in the southern flats indicate the history of small-scale mining and livestock management that predated or persisted alongside the military's presence. The map serves as a detailed study of the land before significant modernization, preserving the specific locations of natural springs like Seep Spring that were critical for survival in the California desert.