1981 Map of Aldridge Creek

About this map

Porcupine Mountains State Park Wilderness and the Ottawa National Forest converge in this remote section of the Upper Peninsula, where the landscape is defined by a dense network of cold-water drainage. The topography is anchored by the Big Iron River and its numerous tributaries, including the West Branch Big Iron River, McFarland Creek, and the namesake Aldridge Creek. Industrial history is represented by the White Pine Extension Mine located near a Campground at the edge of the Porcupine Mountains. The map reveals a transition from the mountainous wilderness in the north to the wooded forest lands of the Bergland area in the south. Dozens of small streams such as Crazy Creek, Sleepy Creek, and Amundson Creek cut through the terrain, suggesting the complex hydrologic character of the Ontonagon backcountry before modern development further altered these watersheds.