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2018 Map of Pinto Mountain

Name: 2018 Topographic Map of Pinto Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2018
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2018

About this map

Joshua Tree National Park occupies the central and southern portions of this landscape, where the Mojave Desert terrain transitions through a network of dry drainage systems. The northern half is defined by the high elevations of the Pinto Mountains, including the prominent peak of Pinto Mtn. Between these heights and the Hexie Mountains to the south lies the Pinto Basin, a broad alluvial area marked by seasonally active channels.

Surface water is ephemeral, represented by wide drainage features such as Pinto Wash, Fried Liver Wash, and Washington Wash that cut across the arid floor. These washes converge toward the expansive Turkey Flat in the southeast. The map illustrates the specialized topography of this desert environment, recording the intricate contouring of the mountain ranges and the flat, open basins that characterize this portion of the California desert.