Loading map...

1949 Map of Reliz Canyon

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Reliz Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Reliz Canyon and its complex network of seasonal drainages define this rugged section of Monterey County as it appeared following a 1949 field check. The landscape is dominated by the Los Padres National Forest, with its southern boundary meeting the Hunter Liggett Military Reservation. Remote cattle operations and early homesteads like Herbert Ranch and Leigh Ranch are scattered along the narrow canyon floors, often situated near vital water sources or a lonely Windmill.

Distinctive geological formations such as The Rocks and the elevation of Bear Mountain provide clear markers for the transition between steep ridges and the deep cuts of Vaqueros Creek and Sweetwater Creek. Traces of earlier activity are visible in the unidentified Ruins found near the upper reaches of the canyon, suggesting the long history of ranching and land use in these isolated California hills before the mid-century expansion of military holdings.