1988 Map of Cougar Lake

About this map

The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail winds through this high-altitude landscape, crossing the triple-boundary junction of Pierce, Yakima, and Lewis Counties. This 1980s revision reveals a heavily protected wilderness where the Mount Rainier National Park meets the Snoqualmie National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Evidence of early backcountry management is visible at the Patrol Cabin near Carlton, while the drainage of the American River and Bumping River structures the high basins. Dozens of alpine lakes define the terrain, from the large Cougar Lake and Dewey Lake to smaller features like Swamp Lake and Two Lakes. The topography is dominated by massive geological forms such as Crag Mountain and the Mesatchee Ridge, providing a look at the Cascades before modern digital mapping replaced these provisional field-checked surveys.