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1956 Map of Ambler River

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Ambler River
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Brooks Range dominates this mid-century topographic portrait of Alaska’s northwest, where the drainages of the Kobuk River and Noatak River carve through some of the continent's most isolated terrain. This 1956 survey records a landscape shaped by geological extremes, notably the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and Little Kobuk Sand Dunes rising south of the Kobuk, and the massive mineral-rich formations of the Baird Mountains and Schwatka Mountains.

The map identifies several Mines and a designated Mica Area, reflecting early industrial interest in the region's raw materials, specifically around Cosmos Mountain and Asbestos Mountain. Historically significant crossing points like Onion Portage and high-altitude passes such as Ivishak Pass and Shishakshinovik Pass highlight the vital corridors used for movement across these heights. Scattered Cabins along the watercourses remain the only indicators of human habitation in this vast interior.