1995 Map of Riley Ridge

About this map

Mendocino National Forest encompasses this high-elevation landscape in Tehama County, where resource extraction and isolated homesteading once defined the local economy. Evidence of the region's mining history is visible in the South Elder Mine and Kleinsorge Mine, while the timber industry is represented by the location of Patton Mill along Mill Creek. This 1990s revision reveals a terrain marked by named clearings and family-identified landmarks such as Steuben Place, Mitchell Place, and Fellow Place, suggesting a legacy of seasonal grazing or early settlement. Connectivity across the ridges is maintained by 4wd tracks and trails crossing prominent features like Riley Ridge, Tatham Ridge, and Whiskey Saddle. Numerous water sources, including Rocky Cabin Spring and Government Spring, provided essential resources for both livestock and the camps that dot the drainage basins of the South Fork Elder Creek and Digger Creek.