2021 Map of Styx

About this map

Styx sits as a lonely marker in the arid expanse of eastern Riverside County, where the desert landscape is defined by the shifting sands and dramatic relief of the Big Maria Mountains and the Little Maria Mountains. This modern topographic study reveals a terrain of vast alluvial washes and dramatic drainage patterns radiating from the mountain slopes into Rice Valley. The dominance of Midland Rd provides the primary north-south artery through this sparsely settled region, tracing a path through the valley floor. The map highlights the intersection of township and range boundaries, such as t2s r20e, illustrating the rigid grid of the Public Land Survey System as it overlays the irregular, naturally occurring features of the California desert. Researchers will find a clear record of the area's hydrology and topography, capturing the remote character of the desert floor before any further modern development.