1966 Map of Big Elk Mtn

About this map

Keenan City (Site) marks a point of historical interest in the southern portion of this mid-1960s survey, where the drainages of Keenan Creek and Barnes Creek meet. Situated within the Caribou National Forest, the landscape is defined by the high elevations of Big Elk Mtn and Little Elk Mountain. The area known as Caribou Basin is central to the sheet, containing the Caribou Basin Guard Station near the winding course of McCoy Creek. A network of pack trails and jeep trails provides the only passage through this mountain terrain, following natural corridors like Miners Delight Creek and Wolverine Creek. The distribution of these trails and the designation of the townsite reflect an era of resource management and historical mining activity, where remote outposts and seasonal guard stations were essential to navigating and overseeing the Idaho backcountry.