1956 Map of Cooper Gulch

About this map

Thompson Pass and Glidden Pass anchor this mid-century survey of the high Bitterroot Range along the border of Sanders County, Montana, and Shoshone County, Idaho. The landscape is defined by the convergence of the Kaniksu National Forest, Coeur d'Alene National Forest, and Lolo National Forest. This era of documentation reveals a region centered on resource extraction and early mountain transit, most notably at the Montana Mine located near the state line. High-altitude hydrology is a central feature, with the headwaters of Canyon Creek and White Pine Creek carving deep drainages between prominent summits like Haystack Mountain and Sex Peak. The presence of Blossom Lakes and the tiered Upper Glidden Lake and Lower Glidden Lake illustrates the glacial character of these mountain basins before modern development altered the backcountry accessibility of the panhandle region.