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1952 Map of Anchorage D-3

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Anchorage D-3
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Matanuska River flows through a massive glacial valley between the high peaks of the Talkeetna Mountains and the Chugach Mountains in this early 1950s survey. The landscape is dominated by the terminus of the Matanuska Glacier at the eastern edge of the sheet, feeding a network of braided gravel bars and silt-heavy tributaries like Muddy Creek and Gravel Creek. Settlement is sparse, limited to small outposts such as the Watchtower Inn and isolated cabins along the river corridor.

The Glenn Highway provides the primary artery through this wilderness, following the northern bank of the river past high-elevation landmarks like Anthracite Ridge and Streishia Mtn. To the north, the terrain rises toward the remote Chitna Pass, while several glacial lakes, including Hundred Mile Lake and Bench Lake, dot the valley floor. The map captures the region after the completion of the modern highway but before widespread development, preserving the original locations of roadhouses and trail crossings.