1959 Map of Willow Beach

About this map

The Colorado River carves through the deep canyons of the Black Canyon National Recreation Area in this late 1950s survey of the Arizona-Nevada border. The map documents the northern reaches of Lake Mead where the river's character shifts between the open waters of the reservoir and the turbulence of Shallow Rapids and Roaring Rapids. On the Arizona side, the settlement of Willow Beach serves as a primary access point, complete with a Campground and facilities situated below the high desert terrain of Flattop Mesa. The topography is marked by distinctive geological features including the Chalk Cliffs, Monkey Rock, and the unique river bend at Fenlon Bend. To the west, the El Dorado Mountains rise sharply from the water's edge, while the eastern landscape is defined by the Malpais and long drainages like Jumbo Wash.