1954 Map of Bird Rapids

About this map

The Missouri River carves a deep valley through this Montana landscape, serving as the natural boundary between Blaine and Fergus counties. Surveyed in the mid-1950s as part of the Department of the Interior program for the Missouri River Basin, the topography reveals the challenging navigation posed by Castle Bluffs Rapids and Bird Rapids. These river features are overlooked by the prominent Castle Bluffs and high triangulation points like VABM 3356 Windsor. High plateaus and ridges, including Pendell Ridge and Lone Tree Ridge, dominate the terrain north of the water. Local drainage systems like Lion Coulee and Bullwhacker Creek feed into the main channel, illustrating the erosion patterns of the Missouri breaks. The map also records a lonely Trail winding through the southern hills, marking the sparse transportation network of this era.