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1991 Map of Cooke City

Name: 1991 Topographic Map of Cooke City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1996
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1996

About this map

Cooke City and Silver Gate anchor this high-elevation mountain terrain at the close of the 20th century. This area, straddling the Montana Wyoming border, is a complex of mining legacy and wilderness preservation. Extensive prospects, an Open Pit Mine, and an adit are concentrated around Henderson Mountain and Scotch Bonnet Mountain, indicating the persistent mineral interests that originally founded these high-country outposts. These industrial markings stand in stark contrast to the surrounding Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness.

The landscape is defined by its dramatic hydrology, serving as a headwaters region where the Yellowstone River, Clarks Fork, and Broadwater River originate. Access to these remote drainages is managed through high-altitude crossings like Colter Pass, Daisy Pass, and Lulu Pass. The map captures a moment when the transition from active mining to a recreation-based economy was well underway, preserved within the bounds of the Custer, Gallatin, and Shoshone national forests.