Titled “Healdsburg,” this United States Geological Survey map presents a richly detailed mid-century portrait of Sonoma County’s Russian River country. Published in 1966 from 1955 topographical mapping, it captures the region at a fascinating moment, before later waves of development reshaped many Northern California landscapes. Although named for Healdsburg, the map prominently includes Guerneville and the river communities, wooded canyons, ridges, and valleys that give this part of California its distinctive character. At a scale of 1:62,500, the sheet balances broad regional context with precise local detail, making visible the relationship between settlement, terrain, and watercourses. The result is both a scientific document and an evocative historical image of a landscape defined by redwoods, river bends, rural roads, and small towns.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language for which it became renowned: carefully measured contours, standardized symbols, and a restrained but highly legible palette. Elevation is articulated through contour lines that trace the folds of hills and valleys, revealing how communities such as Guerneville, Monte Rio, Rio Nido, Korbel, and Stumptown occupy the more accessible corridors of the Russian River basin. Green shading marks forested and vegetated areas, emphasizing the dense natural cover that distinguishes the region. Urban and built-up areas appear in contrast to the surrounding terrain, allowing the viewer to read the map not merely as a plan of places, but as a layered study of human settlement within a complex physical landscape.

The Russian River is the great organizing presence of the map, winding through the terrain and linking many of its most recognizable communities. Its course anchors Guerneville, Monte Rio, Rio Nido, and Steelhead Beach, while nearby valleys and tributary landscapes add depth to the regional geography. Austin Creek and Dry Creek contribute further structure, their drainage patterns helping to explain the location of roads, settlements, and open lands. Jenner, near the river’s approach to the Pacific, places the mapped region within the larger coastal environment, while inland names such as Healdsburg, Geyserville, Oak Grove, and Pine Flat point toward agricultural and rural Sonoma County. Together, these places form a vivid cartographic record of a river-centered landscape.

One of the most compelling features of the map is its treatment of the forested uplands and redwood country surrounding the Russian River communities. Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve appears as a landmark of exceptional natural significance, representing the ancient redwood groves that have long shaped the identity of the Guerneville area. The green tones used by the USGS make the extent of vegetation immediately apparent, while contour lines show how forest, slope, and watershed are intertwined. Rather than presenting nature as a decorative backdrop, the map depicts it as the dominant structure of the region. Hills, creeks, reserves, and wooded tracts frame the towns, making clear how mid-century development remained closely bound to the surrounding terrain.

As a historical document, “Healdsburg” offers a valuable reference point for understanding change in Sonoma County during the twentieth century. The map records the area’s towns, river resorts, rural communities, transportation corridors, and natural reserves as they appeared in the mid-1950s, before subsequent decades altered patterns of growth, recreation, and land use. Its precision allows comparison between past and present landscapes: the spread of urban development, the persistence of forested zones, and the continuing importance of the Russian River as both geographic artery and cultural landmark. Produced by the USGS with scientific rigor, the map has a quiet elegance—an exacting topographical survey that also evokes the beauty and complexity of Northern California’s river valleys and redwood hills.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Guerneville
• Healdsburg
• Russian River
• Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve
• Jenner
• Korbel
• Stumptown
• Monte Rio
• Dry Creek
• Geyserville
• Oak Grove
• Pine Flat
• Rio Nido
• Steelhead Beach
• Austin Creek

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
• Historical topographical map from 1955, published in 1966.
• The map is titled Healdsburg.
• Prominently features Guerneville, California, along with surrounding areas.
• Uses a scale of 1:62,500.
• Employs distinctive color coding to represent terrain, vegetation, and urban development.
• Green shading indicates areas of vegetation and forests.
• Contour lines depict elevation changes, hills, valleys, and urban areas.
• Provides insight into the mid-20th-century landscape of the region.
• Useful as a comparative reference for changes in urban development and natural landscapes 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.