1970 Map of Brother Ponds

About this map

Adirondack State Park dominates this terrain, located within the townships of Clifton and Colton. The landscape is defined by a dense network of high-elevation water bodies and drainage systems, including the South Branch Grass River and the eponymous Brother Ponds. This 1970 survey illustrates a wilderness nearly devoid of permanent settlements, instead highlighting the topographical complexity of the North Country. Named elevations like Potter Mountain, Buckhorn Ridge, and Wilson Mtn surround interior basins like Dismal Swamp, creating a rugged isolation typical of the Western Adirondacks. Evidence of human passage is limited to trails and jeep tracks that connect secluded waters such as Clear Pond and Sampson Pond, suggesting an era focused on forestry and conservation within the State Forest Preserve.