2021 Map of Smoke Creek Ranch

About this map

The high desert borderlands between Lassen County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada, are defined by the winding course of Smoke Cr and the prominent heights of Burro Mtn. This arid landscape, documented in 2021, shows a network of remote ranching roads including Smoke Creek Rd and Smokey Creek Ranch Rd that track the seasonal drainages. The survival of livestock in this region is evidenced by features like Jenkins Troughs, which provide critical water points away from the main creek beds. Drainages such as Rush Cr and its S Fork Rush Cr carve through the basin and range topography, illustrating the hydraulic patterns of the Smoke Creek Desert's western edge. The map captures the enduring character of this isolated rangeland, where the state line is one of the few formal divisions across the terrain.