The US Geological Survey’s “Ely” presents eastern Nevada with the clarity and authority that made mid-century American topographic mapping indispensable. Surveyed in 1958 and published with a 1961 imprint, this 1:62,500 map captures Ely and its surrounding country at a moment when mining, ranching, road building, and public-land management were actively shaping White Pine County. Ely appears not as an isolated desert town, but as the practical hub of a much wider landscape: a place connected by highways, valleys, mountain passes, and working terrain. The map’s title is spare, yet evocative, anchoring a richly detailed portrait of the Great Basin where human settlement is carefully threaded through a demanding geography of ridges, basins, and dry expanses.

Ely’s historical identity is inseparable from mining, and this map quietly reflects that legacy through its roads, settlement patterns, and the broader topography that drew prospectors, engineers, and railroad interests into the region. White Pine County became known for copper, silver, gold, and other mineral resources, and Ely developed as a key service and transport center for nearby mining districts. The surrounding terrain—broken by Ward Mountain, Contact Peak, Elk Mountain, and other high features—suggests why extractive industries required both ambition and infrastructure. The map’s careful depiction of access routes, valleys, and elevations offers more than orientation; it reveals the physical framework within which mining communities rose, adapted, and sometimes vanished across Nevada’s rugged interior.

The cartographic language of the USGS is especially compelling here. Bright greens distinguish vegetated or forested areas, standing out against the paler tones of valley floors and desert basins, while crisp contour lines articulate every fold, slope, and summit. The result is a map of unusual visual immediacy: one can read the rise toward Ward Mountain, trace drainages into lower country, and understand how elevation governs movement, water, grazing, and settlement. The Steptoe Valley and Spring Valley appear as broad geographic corridors, contrasting with the steeper mountain country that encloses and interrupts them. This disciplined design gives the landscape a sculptural quality, transforming survey data into an elegant study of relief and landform.

The broader region shown is quintessential Great Basin country, where internal drainage, arid valleys, scattered springs, and mountain ranges create a landscape of striking contrasts. Snake Valley, Steptoe Valley, and the desert stretches associated with the Ely area speak to the basin-and-range pattern that defines much of Nevada: long north-south valleys separated by rugged uplifts. Around the highlands near present-day Cave Lake State Park, the map suggests cooler elevations, timbered slopes, and watercourses that differ sharply from the surrounding drylands. Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries add quiet detail, reminding the viewer that even in an arid environment, water organizes both ecology and human use. The map captures this delicate balance with remarkable economy.

As a historical document, “Ely” preserves a mid-twentieth-century view of land use before later decades altered roads, recreation areas, mining operations, and patterns of development. Its value lies not only in the town it names, but in the surrounding web of natural and human geography: agricultural valleys, mining approaches, mountain trails, highways, and remote basins. Produced by the USGS, an institution central to the systematic mapping of America’s terrain and resources, it reflects the era’s faith in precise measurement and public knowledge. For collectors, it offers a refined and revealing portrait of Nevada’s eastern interior—an austere, mineral-rich, high-desert landscape rendered with scientific discipline and understated beauty.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Ely
• Steptoe Valley
• White Pine County
• Ruby Mountains
• Ward Mountain
• Contact Peak
• Spring Valley
• Cave Lake State Park
• Snake Valley
• Elk Mountain
• Multiple unnamed lakes and tributaries
• Roads and highways leading to Ely and surrounding areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Ely, Nevada and the surrounding area
• Dated 1958 with a 1961 imprint
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• The USGS is known for detailed geographical surveys and mapping of United States topography and natural resources
• Ely is known for its mining history and its association with the Fourteenmile Desert
• Uses distinct color coding, with bright greens indicating vegetation or forested areas
• Well-defined contour lines show elevation changes effectively
• Illustrates varied terrain, including mountainous regions and valleys
• Provides a snapshot of geography and land use in 1958
• Reflects historical land use patterns, especially related to mining and agriculture

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.