1972 Map of Rattlesnake Canyon

About this map

San Bernardino National Forest dominates the southern half of this landscape, where the high elevations of Granite Peaks and Tip Top Mountain overlook the arid transition into Johnson Valley. The map reveals a specialized desert environment defined by the search for water and minerals, evidenced by the numerous isolated water sources like Rattlesnake Spring, Viscera Spring, and One Hole Spring. A network of Jeep Trails and the unpaved Mound Spring Road provide the only access through the difficult terrain of the Bighorn Mountains and Rattlesnake Canyon. For the local historian or geologist, the presence of various Prospects and Mines scattered across the slopes suggests a history of small-scale extraction and prospecting in this corner of San Bernardino County during the early 1970s.