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1956 Map of Baird Mountains

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Baird Mountains
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Baird Mountains define this arctic landscape, where the Kobuk River and Noatak River carve through some of the most remote territory in the Northwest Arctic. This 1956 survey, revised in the early 1980s, captures the region's hydrography and topography just as large-scale conservation boundaries were being formalized. Evidence of seasonal movement and early resource access is visible through the Winter Trail that cuts through the southern portion of the sheet near the Kiana Hills.

Significant water systems like the Squirrel River and Salmon River feed into the larger basins, while smaller drainages like Klery Creek and Central Creek hint at the area's mining history. The map documents the establishment of massive protected areas, including Kobuk Valley National Park and the Noatak National Preserve, illustrating the transition of this wilderness into a managed federal landscape.