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1962 Map of Bigfork

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Bigfork
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Big Fork sits at the vital junction of the Swan River and the northeast corner of Flathead Lake, showing a landscape defined by water and forest management in the early 1960s. The presence of the Big Fork Dam and the Big Fork Ranger Station highlights the community's dual role as a utility hub and a gateway to the surrounding timberlands. To the north, Echo Lake and Peterson Lake are surrounded by scattered settlements like Holt and Little Brown Ch, indicating the rural character of the Flathead Valley before significant modern development.

The southern portion of the map is dominated by the steep, wooded terrain of the Flathead National Forest, where the McCaffery Lookout Tower overlooks the valley. This survey captures the transition between the agricultural lands of the north and the recreational and industrial forest lands to the south, with small communities like Ferndale and Woods Bay established along the lake and river corridors.