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1956 Map of Stepladder Mts

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Stepladder Mts
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Stepladder Mountains dominate this mid-century survey of the California desert, rising between the expansive Ward Valley to the west and the Chemehuevi Valley to the east. This arid landscape is defined by the drainage patterns of the Homer Wash and Chemehuevi Wash, which cut through the terrain toward the south and east.

Evidence of human activity is sparse but telling, characterized by a utilitarian infrastructure of a cross-country Pipeline and a rugged Jeep Trail in the northern sector. High-point survey markers like Chief and Big Chief highlight the importance of triangulation in mapping this isolated range. Small-scale resource extraction is noted by several Shafts located near the northern peaks, indicating the localized prospecting common in San Bernardino County during this era.