2021 Map of Stepladder Mountains NW

About this map

Ward Valley dominates the western portion of this landscape, characterized by the broad, low-relief basins typical of the Mojave Desert in eastern San Bernardino County. The topography is defined by the gradual descent from the surrounding uplands into the valley floor, where ephemeral drainage patterns are etched into the desert wash. In the southeastern corner of the quadrangle, the terrain rises sharply into the jagged foothills of the Stepladder Mountains, a stark contrast to the open alluvial flats to the west. This 2021 survey illustrates the remote character of this region, emphasizing the natural landforms and the Public Land Survey System grid that organizes this portion of the California desert.