1970 Map of Bettles D-5

About this map

The Alatna Hills dominate the northern terrain of this quadrangle, giving way to the sprawling wetlands of the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge to the south. This 1970 survey, annotated just before the formal establishment of the refuge boundaries, illustrates a remote subarctic landscape defined by complex hydrological systems. The East Fork Henshaw (Sozhekla) Creek and West Fork Henshaw (Sozhekla) Creek snake through the interior, their braided patterns typical of the Kanuti region's interior drainage. A lone Winter Trail in the southeast corner provides the only evidence of overland transportation in this roadless wilderness. Historical hydrologic names like Fickett Creek point to early exploratory efforts in the Yukon-Koyukuk region, while the dual labeling of the Henshaw branches preserves the indigenous Sozhekla nomenclature.