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1952 Map of Specter Range

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Specter Range
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Nevada Proving Grounds and the southern edge of the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range define the northern half of this Cold War-era landscape. Established during a period of intensive atomic testing, the area includes Camp Desert Rock, a military installation that supported exercises in the nearby Mercury Valley. The infrastructure reflects the high-security requirements of the time, featuring an Airstrip, a dedicated Telephone Line, and an Aqueduct cutting through the arid terrain.

Evidence of earlier transportation and geography remains visible amidst the mid-century military expansion. An Old Railroad Grade traverses the central valley, marking a terrestrial link that preceded the nuclear age. The dramatic topography of the Specter Range and Skull Mountain separates these basins from the Amargosa Desert to the southwest, where landforms like Point of Rocks and the northern reach of the Spring Mountains anchor the desert floor.