1947 Map of Red Buttes

About this map

The Muroc Army Airfield Military Reservation dominates the northern reaches of this mid-century landscape, a territory defined by high desert topography and military surveillance. Compiled by the Army Map Service just after the war, the sheet highlights several strategic vantage points including an Observation tower and various survey stations positioned atop the arid elevations. The terrain transitions from the open flats of the Mojave Desert into the prominent ridges of the Shadow Mountains to the south. Notable geological formations such as Red Buttes and Hay Stack Butte serve as primary landmarks in this sparsely developed area, reflecting the region's role in aerospace testing and military training during the early Cold War era.