1981 Map of San Luis Obispo

About this map

San Luis Obispo serves as the inland anchor of this coastal survey, where the Southern Pacific railroad cuts through the Santa Lucia Range to connect the Central Coast with the interior. The landscape transitions from the jagged shoreline of Montana De Oro State Park and the prominent Point Buchon to the high, arid expanse of the Carrizo Plain in the east. This 1980s data illustrates a region defined by its diverse land use, from the academic grounds of California Polytechnic State University and military installations like Camp San Luis Obispo National Guard Res to the protected wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest. The map also captures the critical water infrastructure of the era, including Whale Rock Reservoir, Santa Margarita Lake, and Lopez Lake, which supported the growing coastal communities of Morro Bay and Arroyo Grande.