1970 Map of Benchmark

About this map

Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Bob Marshall Wilderness meet along the Continental Divide in this 1970 field-checked survey. The landscape is defined by the headwaters of the South Fork Sun River, where numerous seasonal creeks like Hoadley Creek and Ellis Creek descend from high ridges. The eastern edge of the map shows a rare pocket of infrastructure within the wilderness boundary, centered on the Benchmark Airfield and the Benchmark Work Center. This area serves as a gateway for the many pack trails that snake through the Sun River Game Preserve. High-altitude vantage points like Patrol Mountain and its Patrol Lookout stand over the basin, while the Wood Creek Hogback forms a distinctive geological barrier to the northeast. The presence of the Straight Cr Campground and Benchmark Campground suggests the area's mid-century importance as a base for backcountry exploration.