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1942 Map of Skull Mountain

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Skull Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

The Tonopah Gunnery Range dominates the high desert landscape of this 1942 survey, revealing the rapid militarization of southern Nevada during the Second World War. The Military Reservation Boundary cuts across a complex geography of arid basins and volcanic ridges, including Yucca Mountain and the Calico Hills. Grounded in early twentieth-century data and updated with 1941 aerial photography, the map highlights essential desert infrastructure such as the Maintenance Station along the highway and rare water sources like Cane Spring.

Mining activity is represented by the Horn Silver Mine, while the southern expanse transitions into the Amargosa Desert. Notable topographic features like the Specter Range and the Skeleton Hills provide orientation for those navigating the rugged terrain between Forty Mile Canyon and the Spring Mountains. The presence of a Railroad and Tanks in the northeast corner further indicates the area's strategic logistical importance during this era.