1955 Map of Rockbound Valley

About this map

Desolation National Wilderness Forest dominates this high-altitude survey of the Sierra Nevada, where the drainage of the Rubicon River carves through a landscape of granite and water. In the northern reaches, the Rubicon Reservoir sits near Onion Flat, representing the mid-century water management infrastructure overseen by the State of California Department of Water Resources. Remote outposts and seasonal camps like the Univ Calif Cow Camp and China Flat suggest a history of grazing and research that predates the modern wilderness designation.