Cultural Sites of the Southwest

The following is a list of National Historic Landmarks, other nationally designated sites, and notable sites of the prehistoric, historic, and scientific landscape in the Southwest, 30 to 40 degrees North, 110 to 120 degrees West.  World Heritage Sites and a narrative were provided in the previous entry.  Sites are keyed to the cultural landscape map in the previous entry.

I.  US National Historic Landmarks

Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California. This resort hotel in the eastern end of Yosemite Valley was opened in 1927 and is still in use (site 1 on map). Ecoregion NA527.

Angelus Temple, Los Angeles. Made famous by a depression-era radio evangelist.

Awatovi Ruins, Hopi Tribal Land (Site 2 on map). An Indian village encountered by Coronado’s men in 1540 contains a 500-year old pueblo and a 17th century Spanish mission. The village was abandoned in 1700 due to tensions between Hope traditionalists and Christian converts. Ecoregion NA1304.

Balboa City Park, San Diego. Constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, it includes America’s finest examples of Spanish baroque architecture. Ecoregion NA1201.

Baldwin Hills Village, Los Angeles. Located in southwest LA, this park-like residential community is now condominiums known as the Village Green. Created during the depression by a prominent Los Angeles architect, the intent was to provide affordable housing. It is listed because of its advances in community planning and architecture. Streets and parks are lined with mature sycamore and olive trees.

Bancroft, Hubert H., Ranch, Spring Valley, California (Site 3 on map). Home of he noted historian of the American West. Ecoregion NA1201.

Barnesdall, Aline Complex, Los Angeles. Built in 1921 as Frank Lloyd Wright’s first commission in California.

Berkeley, San Diego Maritime Museum, California. The nation’s oldest car and passenger ferry, built 1898.

Bradbury Building, Los Angeles. This five-story office building from 1893 is known for its cobwebs of cast iron covered with Art Nouveau ornamentation.

Big and Little Petroglyph Canyons, Coso Mountains, China Lake Naval Weapons Center, California (site 4 on map). Big and Little Petroglyph Canyons contain the most spectacular petroglyph areas in the western US, with 20,000 designs showing bighorn sheep, deer, antelope. Along the canyon walls are anthropomorphic figures showing dogs attacking sheep and people hunting sheep. Piled rock statues are ‘dummy hunters’ of bighorn sheep. Ecoregion NA1308.

Bodie State Historical Park, California, and Bodie Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern, BLM Bishop District, California (site 5 on map). The finest example of a gold mining ghost town in the West, dating from 1859. Ecoregion NA1305.

Bryce Canyon Lodge and Deluxe Cabins, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah (Site 6 on map). Built 1924 to 1929, the rustic architecture encouraged by the National Park Service was constructed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Ecoregion NA530.

Colter, Mary Jane, Buildings, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). Four structures on the South Rim designed by architect Colter and built by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad make up this site. The Hopi House (1905), located in Grand Canyon Village, was modeled after a Hopi pueblo and was used to sell Indian handicrafts. The Lookout Studio (1914), also in Grand Canyon Village, was a photography studio. Hermit’s Rest (1914) is the western terminus of the Rim Trail. Desert View Watchtower (1932), a 70-foot tall tower at the east end of the park, is used as a gift shop and observation point. Ecoregion NA503 and NA1304.

Coronado, Hotel del, Coronado, California (site 8 on map). Constructed in 1887, the hotel had the first electrical system and is considered the most architecturally interesting luxury hotel in the U.S.

Desert Botanical Laboratory (Tumamoc Hill), University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (site 9 on map). This 854-acre site, operated today by the University of Arizona, was the site where the science of plant ecology was born. It is also the earliest known trincheras village, dating to 2000 BC, and houses thousands of petroglyphs. Ecoregion NA1310.

Desolation Canyon, Uinta and Ouray Indian Reservation (site 10 on map). This area along the Green River remains little changed from the time it was first explored by John Wesley Powell in 1869. Ecoregion NA1304.

Eames House, Pacific Palisades, California (site 11 on map). Case Study House Number 8 was one of the most significant post World War II experiments in domestic architecture.

Ely Yards, Nevada Northern Railway Museum, Ely (site 12 on map). Listed because it escaped modernization when other yards were upgraded to diesel, it is the best-preserved and least altered railroad yard complex remaining from the steam era. Ecoregion NA1305.

Estudillo House, Old Town San Diego State Historical Park, San Diego. An adobe house built in 1827, finest in Mexican California.

Flores Adobe, Marine Corps Camp Pendleton, California (site 13 on map). Built 1864, this structure is considered the best example of the Monterrey Colonial style of architecture, which combines New England and Mexican adobe traditions.

Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Nevada (site 14 on map). This site served from 1860 to 1870 as a Pony Express Station, a telegraph site, and emigrant trail protection for the Carson Route of the California Trail. Ecoregion NA1305.

Fort Huachuca Historical Museum, Arizona (site 15 on map). This fort subjugated the Chiracahua Apache, the last free-ranging Indian group, in 1886, and was home to the Army’s four all-black regiments. Ecoregion NA1303.

Forty Acres, Delano, California (site 16 on map). This gas station was the birthplace of the farm workers movement, led by Cesar Chavez, in 1970. Ecoregion NA1202.

Gamble, David B., House, Pasadena (site 17 on map). One of the finest expressions of the Arts and Crafts movement. The design of the house, constructed in 1908, was influenced by the Japanese pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition.

Gatlin Site, Gila Bend, Arizona (site 18 on map). Occupied before 900 CE, this site contains a Hohokam platform mound, ball courts, houses, and canals. It is owned by the City of Gila Bend. Ecoregion NA1310.

Grand Canyon Depot, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). This rustic railroad depot was built in 1910.

Grand Canyon Lodge, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). This stone and log lodge with 100 log cabins was built 1936 by the Union Pacific Railroad as a destination resort.

Grand Canyon Park Operations Building, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). Erected in 1929, this is a prime example of the rustic style employed by the National Park Service.

Grand Canyon Power House, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). Built in 1926 with a Swiss chalet design to disguise its power house function.

Grand Canyon Village, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). This early twentieth century facility is the largest town developed by the National Park Service to meet the needs of visitors and park staff.

Guajome Rancho Adobe, Vista, California (site 19 on map). The finest remaining example of a Mexican ranch headquarters, built 1852. Ecoregion NA1201.

Gonzales House, Santa Barbara. A Mexican-era adobe house built 1825.

Hale Solar Observatory, Pasadena (site 17 on map). This was the office and workshop of Ellery Hale, the person most responsible for the rise of astrophysics in the U.S. See Mount Wilson Observatory in other points of interest below.

Harada House, Riverside, California (site 20 on map). In California v. Harada (1916-1918), the court ruled that all native-born children, even minor children of immigrant parents, could own land.

Hohokam Pima National Monument, Gila River Indian Community (site 21 on map). The Snaketown archaeological site, dating to 300 BCE and abandoned 1100 CE, contains a pueblo and associated agricultural features. The area has been excavated for archaeological research and covered. Ecoregion NA1310.

Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada (site 22 on map). Listed as the greatest achievement in hydraulic engineering since the Panama Canal; a historic civil engineering landmark. Ecoregion NA1308.

Hubble, Edwin, House, San Marino (site 17 on map). Home of one of America’s greatest astronomers.

Jerome State Historic Park and Historic District, Arizona (site 23 on map). This preserves the richest copper-producing area in the early 20th century. The mine closed in 1953, but the town was preserved as a tourist attraction. Ecoregion NA503.

Kinishba Ruins, White Mountain Apache Tribal Land (site 24 on map). This 600-room village was built in the 1100s and abandoned in the 14th or 15th century. Ecoregon NA503.

Lane Victory Ship, San Pedro (site 25 on map). One of the last remaining of 414 Victory Ships, it is a memorial to Merchant Marine veterans of World War II.

Leconte Memorial Lodge, Yosemite National Park, California (site 1 on map). Built by the Sierra Club in 1903, it is a library and education center still operated by the club. Ecoregion NA527.

Lehner Mammoth Kill Site, San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, Arizona (site 45 on map). About 11,000 years ago, hunters killed and butchered mammoths on this site.

Leonard Rock Shelter, Nevada (site 26 on map). At the terminus of the Humboldt and Carson Rivers are marshy sinks. This early prehistoric site overlooks the sinks and has a continuous record of human occupation from 6700 BCE to 1400 CE. Ecoregion NA1305.

Little Tokyo Historic District, Los Angeles. Before World War II, this was the largest Japanese-American community in America.

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles. Used for Olympic Games in 1932 and 1984.

Los Cerritos Ranch House, Long Beach, California (site 25 on map). Among the largest ranch houses built in Mexican California, 1844, the building is in a city park. Ecoregion NA1201.

Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona (site 26 on map). The 1894 observatory where Percival Lowell and other scientists studied Mars, discovered Pluto, developed the science of dendrochronology, and discovered that the universe continues to expand.

Manzanar National Historic Site, California (site 27 on map). Located in the Owens Valley, this was one of ten war relocation centers where Japanese-American citizens were interned during World War II. Ecoregions NA 1305 and NA1308.

Merriam, C. Hart, Base Camp, Coconino National Forest, Arizona (site 28 on map). Located on the northwest slopes of Humphreys Peak, this area to the north of Flagstaff on Forest Road 151 was where Dr. C. Hart Merriam formulated his Life Zone Concept in 1889. Ecoregion NA503.

Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, San Diego. The first of the 21 California missions, built 1769.

Mission Beach Roller Coaster, Mission Beach, California (San Diego). Built 1925 as part of the Mission Beach Amusement Center, an early 20th century recreational development.

Mission Dam, San Diego. This 1817 dam was the first major irrigation project on the Pacific Coast and impounded water for milling and irrigating fields at Mission San Diego de Alcala. Ecoregion NA1201.

Mission Inn, Riverside, California (site 20 on map). Established 1876, this has grown into a lavish resort hotel.

Mission Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Arizona (site 29 on map). The northernmost extension of the Jesuit mission in New Spain, this site was built in 1745 and abandoned in 1773. Ecoregion NA1303.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside, California (site 19 on map). Founded 1798, the present church was built in 1815 and is part of California’s most pristine mission complex.

Modjeska, Helena, House and Forest of Arden Garden, Orange County Park, California (site 30 on map). A wooden cottage was the home of Helena Modjeska, from 1888 to 1906, one of the first ‘stars’ to settle in southern California. Ecoregion NA1201.

Mountain Meadows Massacre, Dixie National Forest, Utah (site 31 on map). The site of an 1857 attack on an immigrant party bound for California on the Old Spanish Trail by the Utah Territorial Militia. Ecoregion NA1304.

Newlands, Francis G. Home, Reno, Nevada (site 32 on map). Home of the representative who authored the Reclamation Act of 1902 which enabled agriculture throughout the West.

Nixon, Richard M., Birthplace, Yorba Linda, California (site 33 on map). This bungalow was the birthplace and home from 1913 to 1922.

Oak Grove Butterfield Stage Station, Temecula Valley south of Aguanga, California (site 34 on map). Part of the first transcontinental stagecoach service, operating from 1858 to 1861 between San Francisco and St. Louis or Memphis. Ecoregion 1201.

Oraibi, Hopi Tribal Land (site 35 on map). The oldest continuously occupied village in the US, dating to 1150 CE. Ecoregion NA1304.

Parson’s Memorial Lodge, Yosemite National Park (site 1 on map). Built 1915 as one of the first rustic stone buildings in a national park, it is used as a nature center. Ecoregion NA527.

Pico Canyon Oil Field, Well No. 4, Santa Clarita Woodlands Park, Newhall, California (site 36 on map). Administered by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a state agency, this was the birthplace of California’s oil industry in the 1870s. The oil field here led to the formation of the Standard Oil Company of California. Ecoregions NA1201 and NA1203.

Pioneer Deep Space Station, Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, Fort Irwin, California (site 37 on map). This antenna constructed in 1958 supports unmanned exploration of deep space. Ecoregion NA 1308.

Presidio City Park, San Diego. Site of the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast of the present-day U.S., the park offers trails and gardens.

Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, Phoenix, Arizona. This Phoenix city park preserves sections of prehistoric irrigation canals in the Salt River Valley. The Hohokam Canal System is a historic civil engineering landmark. See overview section. Ecoregion NA1310.

Ralph J. Scott, San Pedro (site 25 on map). Still in use, this 1925 fireboat operates out of a berth in San Pedro.

Ranger’s Club, Yosemite National Park, California (site 1 on map). A rustic chalet built to house rangers in 1924 and still in use. Ecoregion NA527.

Rogers Dry Lake, Edwards Air Force Base, California (site 38 on map). The largest natural landing field in the West, this site has been used for aircraft flight testing since 1933. It was here that the first flights broke the sound barrier. Ecoregion NA1308.

Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California (site 17 on map). The first and most renowned of the postseason college bowl games, established in 1916.

Saddle Rock Ranch Pictograph Site, Malibu, California (site 39 on map). A Chumash site famous for the pictograph of the four horsemen, considered to be a drawing of a Spanish exploring party. Ecoregion NA1201.

San Cayetano de Calabazas, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Arizona (site 29 on map). Established 1756, Captain Juan Bautista de Anza led over 300 people from here to the San Francisco Bay in 1775-76 to establish a Spanish colony and presidio there. Ecoregion NA1303.

Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara. The most architecturally distinguished link in California’s 21-mission chain.

Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome, Santa Monica (site 11 on map). Built in 1916 to house a carousel at the Santa Monica Pier.

San Xavier del Bac Mission, Tohono O’Odham Nation (site 40 on map). Built 1783 at the northern edge of New Spain and known as the ‘White Dove of the Desert,’ it is the finest Spanish Colonial church in the U.S. and a site on the Anza National Historic Trail. Ecoregion NA1310.

Scripps Building, La Jolla, California (site 41 on map). The “old Scripps building” is the oldest building in continuous use by a oceanographic research institution, built 1909.

Sierra Bonita Ranch, Willcox, Arizona (site 42 on map). The first permanent American cattle ranch in Arizona, founded 1872. Ecoregion NA1303.

Sinclair, Upton House, Monrovia, California (site 17 on map). Principal home of the most influential American novelist in the category of social justice.

Space Flight Operations Facility, Pasadena, California (site 17 on map). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was the primary center for unmanned exploration of the planets. The on-site 25-foot Space Simulator is also a NHL.

Star of India, Maritime Museum of San Diego. The oldest iron-hulled merchantman afloat in the world, constructed 1863.

Steedman Estate (Casa del Herrero), Santa Barbara. Built in 1925, this historic house museum and garden is the most fully developed and intact example of Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture, also called the America Country Place Era. Ecoregion NA1203.

Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona (site 43 on map). The winter quarters of Frank Lloyd Wright, begun 1937, are a showcase of his ability to integrate outdoor and indoor spaces. Ecoregion NA1310.

Titan Missile Museum, Sahuarita, Arizona (site 44 on map). The only publicly accessible Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile site in the nation, designed to survive a first-strike nuclear attack and to launch warheads. Ecoregion NA1310.

Tombstone Historic District and Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, Arizona (site 45 on map). The best preserved frontier town of the 1870s. Ecoregion NA1303.

Topaz War Relocation Center (Central Utah Relocation Center) (site 46 on map). Located west of Delta, Utah, this site housed Japanese Americans during World War II. Ecoregion NA1305.

El Tovar, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (site 7 on map). This rustic 1905 hotel was built by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad as the focal point for the Grand Canyon resort and is still in use today.

Tumacacori Museum and Visitor Center, Tumacacori National Historical Park, Arizona (site 29 on map). Built 1939 on the site of the oldest mission in Arizona (1691), this visitor center is a fine example of Mission Revival architecture, but also it was constructed as an interpretive device so that visitors could better understand the architectural sense and history of that monument’s prime resource: the Tumacacori Mission. The park is a site on the Anza National Historic Trail. Ecoregion NA1303.

Ventana Cave, Tohono O’Odham Nation (site 47 on map). This site contains archaeological deposits dating to 11,000 BCE and records interaction of humans with extinct Pleistocene mammals. Ecoregion NA1310.

Virginia City Historic District, Nevada (site 48 on map). The first silver boomtown, dating from 1859. The NHL includes Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City, and Dayton. Ecoregion NA1305.

Walker Pass, Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield District, Campground and Trailhead, California (site 49 on map). The first immigrant wagon train to California came through this pass in 1843. Ecoregions NA1203 and NA1308.

Warner Springs Ranch, California (site 50 on map). Established 1844, this was a pioneering cattle ranch and served as a resting place for overland travelers crossing the southern immigrant trails. Ecoregion NA1201.

Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historical Park, Los Angeles. The three tall towers and six short towers are among the finest examples of naïve art and are a symbol of Los Angeles.

Wawona Hotel and Thomas Hill Studio, Yosemite National Park, California (site 1 on map). The largest and best-preserved Victorian-era hotel complex within a National Park is located in the southern part of the park. The Thomas Hill Studio was the sales room for the famous landscape painter. Ecoregion NA527.

Winona Site and Ridge Ruin, Winona, Arizona (site 51 on map). Following the eruption of Sunset Crater in 1066 CE, this site was established; it was excavated in the 1930s and 1950s and contains a ballcourt and pueblo. Ecoregion NA503 and NA1304.

Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, Arizona and California (site 52 on map). The Colorado River crossing was significant in Spanish colonial and US westward expansion. Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park and Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park are in Arizona, while Fort Yuma is on Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Land across the Colorado River. Ecoregion NA1310.

II.  National Historic Trails

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Arizona, California, Baja California, and Sonora. De Anza opened an emigrant trail from Sonora to San Francisco in 1775. Sites include Tumacacori National Historical Park (see NHL list), Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, San Xavier del Bac (see NHL list), Saguaro National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Painted Rocks, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (see NHL list), Anza Borrego Desert State Park, Bautista Canyon Road, Mission San Gabriel Archangel, El Pueblo de Los Angeles,Chumash Indian Museum (north of Thousand Oaks), Santa Monica Mountains NRA, and El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historical Park.

California National Historic Trail, California, Nevada, Utah. Nevada sites in the map area include Humboldt Sink and Fernley Ruts on the Truckee Route and Fort Churchill (see NHL list) and Mormon Station on the Carson Route. California sites include Woodford’s Station, Hope Valley, and Carson Pass, all in the Toiyabe National Forest on the Carson Route; and Little Lost Canyon and Leavitt Meadow in Toiyabe National Forest and Browder Flat, Fremont Lake, Little Emigrant Valley, Hubbs Grave Site, Relief Camp, and Burst Rock in the Emigrant Wilderness along the Walker River-Sonora Route.

Old Spanish National Historic Trail, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah. This trading route connected Santa Fe and Los Angeles, opened in 1829. Sites include Church Rock, Navajo National Monument, and Antelope Canyon on Navajo Nation; Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Paria Box area, Utah; Parowan Gap Petroglyphs, UT; Mountain Meadows, UT (see NHL list); Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona; Mojave Road in Mojave National Preserve, CA; and El Pueblo de Los Angeles, California.

Pony Express National Historic Trail, California, Nevada, and Utah. Sites include Boyd Station and Willow Springs Station in Utah; Cold Springs Station, Sand Springs Station, Fort Churchill (see NHL list), and Mormon Station in Nevada; and Woodford’s Station in California.

III.  Other Nationally Designated Sites

Cabrillo National Monument, California (site 53 on map). In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the west coast of the United States. Ecoregion NA1201.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah (site 54 on map). Rock art panels can be seen on canyon walls. Ecoregion NA1304

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona (site 55 on map). Built 650 years ago, this four-story house rises from a six-foot high earthen platform. In addition to a residence, it was also used as an astronomical observatory. Site on the Anza National Historic Trail. Ecoregion N1310.

Coronado National Memorial, Arizona (site 15 on map).  Primarily a natural site, this commemorates the 1540-1542 expedition of Coronado in the western US.  Ecoregion NA302.

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona (site 56 on map). Contains the Nampaweap Petroglyph Site and Uinkaret Pueblo site. Ecoregion NA1304.

Ironwood Forest National Monument, Tucson BLM District, Arizona (site 57 on map). More than 200 Hohokam sites and rock art are found in this 125,000-acre area. Elevations here range from 1,800 to more than 4,200 feet. Historic areas include the Los Robles Archeological District, the Mission of Santa Ana del Chiquiburitac and the Cocoraque Butte Archeological District. Ecoregion NA1310.

Kitt Peak National Observatory and National Solar Observatory, Tohono O’Odham Nation (site 58 on map). The world’s largest collection of optical telescopes and radio telescopes operated by eight different groups affiliated with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. Ecoregion NA302.

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona (site 59 on map). A well-preserved, five-story, 20-room ruin built 1125 to 1400. Ecoregion NA503.

Navajo National Monument, Navajo Nation (site 60 on map). Preserves the largest cliff dwellings in Arizona, dating to 1250. Ecoregion NA1304.

Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona (site 61 on map). A Mormon settlement dating to 1863. Ecoregion NA1304.

Saguaro National Park, Arizona (site 62 on map). Petroglyphs are present on Signal Hill (west unit of the park) and are a site on the Anza NHT.

Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area, BLM Southern Nevada District (site 63 on map). The site contains 300 petroglyph panels. Ecoregion NA1308.

Tonto National Monument, Arizona (site 64 on map). Cliff dwellings were constructed 1300 to 1450 in large caves. Ecoregion NA503.

Tuzigoot National Monument, Arizona (site 65 on map). A hilltop pueblo occupied 1125 to 1450. Ecoregion NA503.

Walnut Canyon National Monument, Arizona (site 51 on map). A series of cliff dwellings built into overhangs along the canyon rim. Ecoregion NA503.

Wupatki National Monument, Arizona (site 66 on map). Hundreds of pueblo dwellings in a formerly productive farming region. Ecoregion NA1304.

IV.  Other Cultural Resource Sites

Amerind Foundation, Dragoon, Arizona (site 67 on map). An archaeological research and museum facility located in Texas Canyon, Little Dragoon Mountains. Ecoregion NA1303.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California. A site on the Anza Trail.  Ecoregion NA1310.

Anasazi State Park Museum, Boulder, Utah (site 68 on map). Occupied from 1050 to 1200 CE. Ecoregion NA1304.

Arroyo Seco Parkway, Los Angeles, California. The first urban freeway west of the Mississippi, constructed in 1940, is a historic civil engineering landmark. Ecoregion NA1201.

Bautista Canyon Road, San Bernardino National Forest, California (site 69 on map). Connects the town of Anza with Hemet; a site on the Anza Trail. Ecoregion NA1201.

Belmont Courthouse State Historic Park, Nevada (site 70 on map). From 1876 to 1905, this courthouse served Nye County, now abandoned. Ecoregion NA1305.

Biosphere 2, University of Arizona, Oracle, Arizona (site 71 on map). From 1991 to 1994, two experiments locked people inside this artificial ‘biosphere.’ It is now managed as a climate change research facility by the University of Arizona. Ecoregion NA1310.

Black Mountain Rock Art District, BLM Barstow District, California (site 72 on map). Up to 12,000 petroglyphs. Ecoregion NA1308.

Blythe Intaglios, BLM Yuma Field Office, California (site 73 on map). Six human figures and animal figures are depicted in geoglyphs. Ecoregion NA1310.

Buckhorn Wash Rock Art Panel, BLM Price Field Office, Utah (site 74 on map). Believed to be pictographs of shamans. Ecoregion NA1304.

Calico Early Man Site, BLM Barstow Field Office, California (site 75 on map). Ecoregion NA1308.

Cerro de Trincheras, Sonora (site 76 on map). The largest trincheras site (see overview above), with terraced hills dating to 1400 CE. Ecoregion NA1310.

Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Site, Santa Barbara, California. An overhand contains multicolored paintings and drawings. Ecoregion NA1203.

Col. Allensworth State Historical Park, Earlimart, California (site 78 on map). A farming community, founded in 1908 as a town financed and governed by African Americans. Ecoregion NA801.

Colorado River Aqueduct, Arizona-California. This second major water supply canal for southern California transports water from Lake Havasu to Lake Mathews near Corona, California. Constructed in the early 20th century, this is a civil engineering landmark. Ecoregions NA1308 and 1201.

Cucurbe, Sonora (site 79 on map). A notable petroglyph site. Ecoregion NA1310.

Eldon Pueblo, Coconino National Forest, Arizona (site 26 on map). A Sinagua site occupied from 1070 to 1275. Ecoregion NA503.

Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site, Nevada (site 80 on map). Served as a school from 1922 through 1967. Ecoregion NA1305.

Los Encinos State Historical Park, Los Angeles, California. A natural spring and adobe ranch house for Basque immigrant landowners and sheep ranchers. Ecoregion NA 1201.

Fisherman Intaglio, BLM Yuma Field Office, Arizona (site 81 on map). A geoglyph in the Arizona desert. Ecoregion NA1310.

Fort Pearce, BLM St. George Field Office, Utah (site 82 on map). A fort built 1866 and petroglyphs in the area. Ecoregion NA1308.

Fort Tehon State Historical Park, Lebec, California (site 83 on map). Constructed 1854 to protect and control the Sebastian Indian Reservation. Ecoregion NA1203.

Fort Verde State Historic Park, Camp Verde, Arizona (site 84 on map). The site of the military campaign against the Apache in the 1870s. Ecoregion NA503.

Fremont Indian State Park, Utah (site 85 on map). Several panels of rock art are preserved; this site was discovered during the construction of I-70. Ecoregion NA530.

Frontier Homestead State Park Museum, Cedar City, Utah (site 86 on map). Commemorates an iron-mining area in the 1850s. Ecoregion NA1305.

Grimes Point Archaeological Area, BLM Carson City District (site 87 on map). A trail winds among petroglyphs. Ecoregion NA1305.

Guadalupe Valley Wine Region, Baja California (site 88 on map). One of Mexico’s wine-producing areas to the north of Ensenada. Ecoregion NA1201.

Hidden Cave Archaeological Area, BLM Carson City District (site 87 on map). Hidden Cave was used as a stockpile for food about 4,000 years ago by early human inhabitants. Ecoregion NA1305.

Homolovi State Park, Arizona (site 89 on map). This is a center for archaeology research from the 1200s to 1300s. The Hopi consider this to be an ancestral village.

Honanki Ruin, Coconino National Forest, Arizona (site 90 on map). Preserves cliff dwellings and rock art. Ecoregion NA503.

Ivanpah Dry Lake, California (site 91 on map). The world land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle was set here in 2009. Ecoregion NA1308.

Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Site, Las Vegas, Nevada. Established 1855.

Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site, BLM Arizona Strip Field Office (site 92 on map). South of St. George, Utah, is this site with 500 petroglyphs. Ecoregion NA1308.

Los Angeles Aqueduct, California. Tapping water near Mono Lake and built from 1907 to 1913, this aqueduct system of storage reservoirs, canals, and tunnels allows water to flow downhill to southern California. A historic civil engineering landmark. Ecoregions NA527, 1310, 1203, and 1201.

Lovelock Cave, BLM Winnemucca District, Nevada (site 26 on map). Artifacts include elaborate mats and duck decoys up to 2,000 years old. Ecoregion NA1305.

Marlette Lake Water System, Nevada (site 32 on map). Tapping water in the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, this water system was constructed to provide water to Virginia City. Ecoregion NA527 and NA1305.

McFarland State Historic Park, Florence, Arizona (site 93 on map). An 1878 adobe brick building, used as a courthouse.

Mission San Gabriel Archangel, San Gabriel, California (site 94 on map). An 1806 church and site on Anza Trail.

Mormon Station State Historic Park, Nevada (site 95 on map). Established 1851, this is Nevada’s first permanent non-Indian settlement and a site along the California and Pony Express trails.

Mount Wilson Observatory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Angeles National Forest, California (site 17 on map). Founded 1904 by George Hale, a historic 60-inch telescope and modern upgrades overlook Pasadena. In 1908, Hale detected the existence of magnetic fields inside sunspots. Ecoregion NA1203.

Navajo Bridge Pedestrian Bridge, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Navajo Nation (site 96 on map). When it was constructed in 1929, this was the highest steel arch bridge in America. It was replaced by a new bridge just downstream in 1995. Ecoregion NA1304.

Nine Mile Canyon Archaeological District, BLM Price Field Office, Utah (site 97 on map). One of the world’s highest densities of prehistoric rock art. Ecoregion NA1304.

Painted Cave, Tule River Tribal Lands (site 98 on map). Rock art pictographs painted in white, yellow, and black pigments are in a rockshelter associated with a village site. A Bigfoot pictograph is often cited by Bigfoot hunters as evidence. Ecoregion NA527 and 1202.

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, BLM Lower Sonoran Field Office, Arizona (site 99 on map). Hundreds of petroglyphs may be viewed at this site off I-8. Ecoregion NA1310.

Palatki Heritage Site, Coconino National Forest, Arizona (site 90 on map). Preserves cliff dwellings and rock art. Ecoregion NA503.

Palomar Observatory, Cleveland National Forest, California (site 34 on map). Five telescopes are operated by the California Institute of Technology. Ecoregion NA1201.

Parowan Gap, BLM, UT (site 100 on map). Petroglyph site. Ecoregion NA1305.

Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park. A military outpost built by the Spanish dates from 1782, a site on the Anza Trail.

Pueblo de Los Angeles. Western terminus of the Old Spanish Trail, a site on the Anza Trail, and a center of the old Spanish settlement.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, Flagstaff (site 26 on map). Built 1904, the mansion is considered to be a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts style architecture featuring a rustic exterior of log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches, and hand-split wooden shingles.

Rogers, Will, State Historic Park, Pacific Palisades (site 11 on map). Preserves the humorist’s house, horse riding facilities, Ecoregion NA1201.

Salt River Project and Theodore Roosevelt Dam, Arizona (site 64 on map). Constructed beginning 1911, the seven dams and reservoirs on the Salt and Verde Rivers provide water for Arizona. A historic civil engineering landmark. Ecoregion NA503 and 1310.

Sand Mountain Recreation Area, BLM Carson City District, Nevada (site 101 on map). Contains the Sand Springs Pony Express Station. Ecoregion NA1305.

Santo Tomas Valley, Baja California (site 102 on map). One of Mexico’s wine-producing regions to the south of Ensenada. Ecoregion NA 1201.

Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, Chatsworth, California (site 103 on map). Site of the original stagecoach trail between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ecoregion NA1203.

Sears Point Petroglyph Site, BLM Yuma Field Office, Arizona (site 104 on map). Ecoregion NA1310.

Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, Nevada (site 105 on map). Developed as a working ranch and luxury retreat. Part of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Ecoregion NA1308.

Sweetwater Dam, San Diego, California (site 3 on map). Constructed in 1917, this was once the tallest masonry arch dam. A historic civil engineering landmark. Ecoregion NA12101.

Tehachapi Pass Railroad, California (site 106 on map). In 1876, this railroad with a loop to gain elevation was constructed by hand and is still in use. It is considered one of the great feats of railroad engineering. Ecoregion NA1203.

Territorial Statehouse State Park Museum, Fillmore, Utah (site 107 on map). Built 1855 for a meeting of the territorial legislature, which promptly moved to Salt Lake City.

Topock Maze, BLM California Desert District, Needles, California (site 108 on map). Originally about 50 acres, this 600-year old geoglyph has been reduced in size by railroad and highway construction. A field appears to have been plowed or furrowed in a mazelike fashion. Ecoregion NA1308.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, Arizona (site 29 on map). A small Pima village became a mission farm, then a military installation in New Spain. Juan Bautista de Anza, commander of the presidio, led expeditions to San Francisco from this spot. Ecoreigon NA1310.

V Bar V Heritage Site, Coconino National Forest, Arizona (site 59 on map). Preserves rock art. Ecoregion NA503.

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada (site 109 on map). Contains rock art throughout the park. Ecoregion NA1308.

Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park, Nevada (site 110 on map). Six charcoal ovens. Ecoregion NA1305.

Whipple, Fred Lawrence, Observatory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Coronado National Forest, Arizona (site 111 on map). Telescopes for optical and gamma ray astronomy. Ecoregion NA302.

Willow Springs Pony Express Station, Callao, Utah (site 112 on map). One of the best preserved stations, located on private land. Ecoregion NA1305.

Wolverton Historic Mill, BLM Henry Mountain Field Station, Hanksville, UT (site 113 on map). The mill was built to process mineral ores and as a sawmill. Ecoregion NA1304.

Woodford’s Station, Toiyabe National Forest, California (site 114 on map). This was a site on the Carson Route of the California Trail and a Pony Express station.

Yuha Desert, California (site 115 on map). Site of a large, abstract geoglyph. Ecoregion NA1310.