1972 Map of Christian C-3

About this map

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge encompasses the eastern half of this interior Alaskan landscape, documenting a region defined by its seasonal access and remote waterways. The Christian River and its tributary, Otter Creek, meander through the southern reaches, providing critical transportation corridors in a roadless wilderness. Topography gathered in 1972 reveals the reliance on seasonal infrastructure, specifically the Winter Trail that snakes through the central and northern terrain. This trail network reflects the historical reality of travel in the Yukon-Koyukuk region, where heavy equipment and supplies could only traverse the marshy lowlands once the ground was sufficiently frozen. The map serves as a record of these ephemeral routes and the untouched drainage patterns before later environmental protections and land-use designations were fully codified.