1964 Map of Tonto Basin

About this map

The high desert landscape of Tonto Basin is defined by the sharp contrast between the rugged Mazatzal Mountains and the life-giving waters of Tonto Creek. In the mid-1960s, the small settlement of Punkin Center serves as a primary hub for this ranching and forest region, featuring its own Punkin Center Landing Strip and a Tonto Basin PO. This map reveals a complex network of cattle ranching infrastructure, evidenced by numerous corrals and remote watering points like Packard Spring and Denton Trough Spring. Evidence of much older habitation is also preserved, with several sites marked as Ruins and Petroglyphs noted along the canyon walls. To the southeast, the rising waters of Theodore Roosevelt Lake create a distinct shoreline, while the higher elevations of the Tonto National Forest provide seasonal grazing in areas like Big Pine Flat.