2018 Map of Placer Canyon

About this map

Joshua Tree National Park encompasses a significant portion of this landscape, where the flat expanse of the Pinto Basin meets the uplifted Eagle Mountains. This desert environment is defined by its drainage patterns, most notably the winding Pinto Wash that cuts through the northern sections of the map. In the more varied topography of the south, Placer Canyon provides a natural corridor through the mountains, while the presence of Eagle-Tank Spring marks a rare and vital water source in this corner of the Mojave Desert. Human passage through the region is limited but distinct, centered on the Black Eagle Mine Rd, which tracks the foothills of the range. The map illustrates the sharp contrast between the vast, open basin floor and the complex system of ridges and canyons that dominate the southern half of the quadrangle.