The US Geological Survey’s 1934 “Pine Quadrangle” captures a striking portion of central Arizona at a moment when scientific mapping was transforming remote landscapes into legible national knowledge. Centered on the communities of Pine and Strawberry, the map presents the high country below the Mogollon Rim with the precision and restraint characteristic of USGS topographic work. Its dense contouring reveals a terrain of ridges, draws, valleys, and forested uplands, where settlement appears modest against the scale of the land. Roads, trails, streams, and elevation points are carefully differentiated, allowing the viewer to read both human movement and natural form. More than a geographic document, it is a portrait of Arizona’s mountain country in the early twentieth century, before later recreational development reshaped the region’s identity.

Founded in 1879, the US Geological Survey became one of the most important cartographic institutions in American history, tasked with measuring, classifying, and mapping the nation’s terrain. By the 1930s, its quadrangle maps had become essential tools for engineers, foresters, conservationists, travelers, and local officials. The “Pine Quadrangle” belongs to this great tradition of practical elegance: a map designed not for ornament, but for exacting interpretation. Its topographic language—contour lines, drainage networks, road classifications, and spot elevations—creates a disciplined visual structure that remains deeply beautiful. In an era of expanding federal interest in land management, forestry, and infrastructure, such maps were indispensable. They translated rugged and often inaccessible country into a standardized format, making the land intelligible without diminishing its complexity.

The landscape shown here is dominated by the dramatic geological setting of the Mogollon Rim, one of Arizona’s defining natural escarpments. This great rim marks the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, where high pine forests break into steep slopes, canyons, and lower desert-facing country. Pine and Strawberry sit within this elevated world, historically shaped by ranching, timber, seasonal travel, and access to water. The map’s contour lines make the region’s physical drama immediately apparent: elevations tighten along steeper slopes, spread across gentler basins, and curl around hills and drainage courses with almost sculptural delicacy. Summit Lake, streams, and smaller water features punctuate an otherwise rugged terrain, emphasizing how settlement and movement in this part of Arizona were closely tied to landform and water.

Pine and Strawberry, though small, occupy a compelling place in Arizona’s cultural geography. Set amid ponderosa pine forests and highland meadows, they developed as mountain communities distinct from the hotter desert towns to the south. Their appearance on this 1934 quadrangle offers a glimpse of a quieter period, when roads and trails connected scattered residences, ranch lands, and forest routes rather than the recreational corridors familiar today. The map’s road symbology hints at the hierarchy of movement: more substantial routes, lesser tracks, and dotted trails threading through difficult ground. These details are especially evocative because they show the practical realities of travel before modern highways fully transformed access to Arizona’s uplands. The map preserves not only place names, but patterns of everyday movement.

As a topographical composition, the “Pine Quadrangle” is especially rewarding for its intricate depiction of elevation and relief. The sepia-toned aesthetic associated with early USGS sheets lends the map a spare, archival beauty, while the technical information remains remarkably rich. Every contour speaks to the region’s mountainous character, from subtle undulations to sharper breaks in slope. Forested areas, streams, lakes, roadways, and unnamed summits together create a layered record of environment and use. Historically, the map also invites comparison with the present: shifts in land use, conservation priorities, residential growth, and recreation can all be measured against this 1934 snapshot. It is both an elegant cartographic artifact and a valuable historical witness to central Arizona’s high country.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Pine, Arizona
• Strawberry, Arizona
• Mogollon Rim
• Summit Lake
• Various unnamed hills and elevation points
• Forested areas
• Roadways
• Water bodies, including lakes and streams
• Trails

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map name: Pine Quadrangle
• Published by the US Geological Survey
• Created using survey data collected in 1934
• Shows Pine, Strawberry, and surrounding areas in Arizona
• The US Geological Survey has produced detailed maps of the United States since its establishment in 1879
• Uses a traditional topographical style with contour lines to show elevation changes
• Features a sepia-toned design that gives the map a historical appearance
• Displays varied elevations, including hills, valleys, forested terrain, and mountainous areas
• Reflects the geographic understanding of the region in 1934
• Useful for examining changes in land use, development, ecology, and conservation over time

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.