1943 Map of San Guillermo

About this map

San Guillermo Mountain stands as the central landmark in this 1943 survey, rising above a landscape of high-elevation canyons and seasonal drainages. During the early 1940s, this portion of the Los Padres National Forest was largely remote, characterized by deep watercourses like Alamo Creek and Piru Creek. Human presence is concentrated in the northern reaches, where the Plush Ranch and Three Falls Boy Scout Camp mark the edge of the Lockwood Valley. The survey, based on 1942 aerial photography, documents a network of unimproved roads and trails, including the distinctive route through Wagon Road Canyon. This era precedes significant modernization in the Ventura County backcountry, capturing a moment when family-owned ranching interests and youth recreation camps were the primary anchors in the rugged terrain between Dry Canyon and Pine Mtn.