1895 Map of Pyramid Peak

About this map

Lake Tahoe borders the northeastern corner of this Sierra Nevada landscape, where early resort culture is already taking shape at Glen Alpine Springs and near Fallen Leaf Lake. The terrain is defined by the high granite peaks of the Desolation Wilderness area, including Pyramid Peak and Dicks Peak, dropping down to the South Fork American River. Evidence of the region’s 19th-century resource and transport economy is visible in the network of ditch camps, such as Ditch Camp 10, and isolated mountain outposts like Uncle Toms Cabin and Slippery Ford. To the south, the map traces the headwaters of the Mokelumne River and the North Fork Cosumnes River, where small settlements like Dogtown and Phillips mark the thin human footprint in this high-altitude environment.