1955 Map of Baird Mountains C-3

About this map

Noatak National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park meet in this remote Arctic landscape, where the boundary between these federally protected lands is defined by the high ridges of the Baird Mountains. Based on 1955 photography and updated in the early 1980s, the map documents a transition zone between the Noatak Wilderness and the forested drainages to the south. Several significant waterways drain the mountain slopes, including Anaktok Creek and Nakolikurok Creek, illustrating the natural drainage patterns of the region before the formalization of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The lack of any roads or trails highlights the undisturbed nature of the territory, where the terrain is governed by the flow of seasonal waters like Saput Creek and Pukpahlearik Creek.