1960 Map of Anchorage C-5

About this map

Pinnacle Mountain stands as a central landmark in this Alaskan landscape, where the northern glacial drainage systems of the Matanuska River meet the southern reach of the Knik River. The geography is defined by a dense network of watercourses, including the Kings River and Carpenter Creek, which carve through the high elevations. Transportation in the mid-twentieth century was largely limited to the corridor along the Glenn Highway in the north, where a local trail also provides access to the river's edge. This 1960 field-annotated survey reveals a transition from the lower river valleys to the ice-laden peaks of the interior. The presence of numerous unnamed glaciers and high-altitude drainage basins like those of Wolverine Creek and Jim Creek illustrates the complex hydrologic character of the Chugach Mountains before more extensive modern development.