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1958 Map of Crescent Cliff

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Crescent Cliff
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The Continental Divide serves as the backbone of this high-elevation wilderness, where the borders of the Flathead National Forest and Lewis and Clark National Forest meet. Surveyed in the late 1950s, the terrain is defined by a series of prominent summits including Running Crane Mountain, Bullshoe Mountain, and Running Owl Mountain. The landscape is etched by a network of drainage systems like North Badger Creek and Lee Creek, which flow away from the massive wall of Crescent Cliff.

Remote transport in this roadless area relied entirely on a complex system of trails, such as the Kip Pack Trail and the North Badger Elbow Creek Trail. These routes provided the only access across the Pondera and Flathead county line, connecting high basins like those near Bruin Peaks and Goat Mountain. The absence of modern infrastructure highlights a period when this section of the Rocky Mountains was managed primarily for its watershed and primitive backcountry character.