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1997 Map of Big Hole Battlefield

Name: 1997 Topographic Map of Big Hole Battlefield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2002
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2002

About this map

Big Hole National Battlefield preserves the site of a pivotal 1877 conflict, marked here in detail within the Beaverhead National Forest. The landscape is dominated by the steep slopes of Battle Mountain and Wooster Mountain, where the geography of the Nez Perce retreat and the subsequent military engagement is traceable through specific landmarks like the Howitzer Pit. Along the lower elevations, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail follows the path of the river, passing the legacy of later resource extraction at Dredge Tailings and Borrow Pits.

Cattle ranching and wilderness management define the northern portions of the quadrangle near the Maybee Ranch. The intricate drainage system, including Maybee Meadows and Beaver Pond Basin, illustrates a high-altitude ecosystem where water management is monitored at a local Gaging Station. This survey offers a precise look at how historical military movements and modern forestry conservation overlap in the Montana backcountry.