A photo of two boulders

This view is looking east from the alcove in Painted Rock toward Soda Lake and the Temblor Range.

The area was extensively farmed and grazed from the 1870s through the early 20th century. The oil boom of the San Joaquin valley brought an additional flood of people to the area, as did interests in agriculture, mining, recreation, and hunting. In the late 20th century, a consortium of state, federal, and private partners purchased lands on the Carrizo Plain to be set aside for preservation. In 2001, part of the Carrizo Plain was designated as Carrizo Plain National Monument [Clinton, 2001]).