2018 Map of Pinto Wells

About this map

Joshua Tree National Park anchors this 2018 survey of the arid California interior, where the high desert terrain of the Mojave Desert meets the transition into the Chuckwalla Valley. The map detail highlights the hydrological and infrastructural systems essential to this environment, specifically the winding path of Pinto Wash as it drains the Pinto Basin. To the south, the engineering of the Colorado River Aqueduct is clearly traced as it cuts across the landscape near the foot of the Eagle Mountains. This area around Pinto Wells is defined by sharp topographic contrasts, from the steep rises of the Coxcomb Mountains in the northeast to the descent into Bold Eagle Canyon. Isolated infrastructure like Phone Line Rd provides the few terrestrial markers in this expanse of the eastern Colorado Desert.