1965 Map of Vopoki Ridge

About this map

Luke Air Force Range dominates this mid-1960s desert landscape, highlighting the intersection of military operations and the arid geography of the Yuma Desert. The map meticulously charts the shifting Sand Dunes and the dramatic relief of the Gila Mts, where Vopoki Ridge rises above the Davis Plain. A striking feature of this survey is the Camino Del Diablo (Jeep Trail), an approximate route through the desert that follows a historically significant and challenging path across the borderlands. Cultural markers like an Observation Tower and the isolated Spook Tank appear alongside the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, where the state line of Arizona and Sonora is clearly defined. This survey combines aerial photogrammetry from 1963 with earlier planetable surveys by the Bureau of Reclamation, capturing the vast, undeveloped character of Yuma County.