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1987 Map of Rhyolite Ridge NE

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of Rhyolite Ridge NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Silver Peak Range dominates this corner of Esmeralda County, providing a stark topographical contrast to the broad expanse of the Big Smoky Valley to the east. This 1987 provisional survey documents an area shaped by historical mining and transportation, most notably along the western slopes where the Dams Mine and an Open Pit Mine are situated near a high concentration of unnamed Prospects.

Evidence of former infrastructure is found in the Old Railroad Grade cutting across the valley floor, a relic of the region's early 20th-century mineral booms. Natural landmarks like Emigrant Pass and a scattered Spring provide orientation points for those tracing historical travel routes through the high desert. The map also identifies industrial sites like a Gravel Pit and the surveyed Base Line, marking the intersection of natural resources and formal land management.