1998 Map of Alta

About this map

The settlement of Alta serves as the focal point for this survey of the Montana-Idaho borderlands, situated along the West Fork Bitterroot River. The landscape is defined by the high elevations of the Bitterroot National Forest, where steep drainages like Castner Creek and Hughes Creek feed into the river valley. Resource extraction and forest management are central to the area's history, evidenced by the Old Alta Ranger Sta (Site) and various mining operations. Hardrock mining ventures such as the Lucky Joe Mine and the Copper Queen Mine are mapped alongside scattered prospects, a Mine Shaft, and multiple adits. The terrain reaches its peaks at Thunder Mountain and along the prominent Than Wilkerson Ridge, while the Salmon River Divide Trail follows the ridge line that marks the boundary between Ravalli and Lemhi counties.