2014 Map of Pinta Playa

About this map

Sierra Pinta dominates the central topography of this Yuma County landscape, its steep contours rising sharply above the surrounding arid basins. To the west, the Tule Desert stretches toward Pinta Playa, a prominent dry lake bed that serves as a focal point for the region's internal drainage. The southern portion of the quadrangle transitions into the dark, volcanic textures of the Pinacate Lava Flow, which spills into Pinacate Valley. This terrain represents a classic desert mosaic, where the isolation of Paradise Canyon and the broad reaches of Mohawk Valley illustrate the stark geographic transitions typical of the Arizona borderlands. The map provides a detailed look at this remote environment as it appeared in the early 21st century, showing a land defined by geological formations and natural basins rather than human settlement.