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1956 Map of Crows Nest Peak

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Crows Nest Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Black Hills National Forest land dominates this 1950s terrain, centered on the prominent summit of Crows Nest Peak. The landscape is a complex network of drainages and high parks, featuring the notable Lookout Tower which provided a vital vantage point for fire management in this wooded region. The area's mid-century character is defined by a series of family-named ranching outposts, such as the McCoy Ranch and Mickelson Ranch, tucked into the valleys and along the edges of high openings like Blind Park.

Water sources are critical to the settlement pattern here, with numerous named springs including Oatman Spring and Rhoads Spring supporting the scattered livestock operations. The intricate topography is further detailed by named draws like Manganese Draw and Bjornland Draw, which feed into the Castle Creek system. This survey preserves the exact locations of many small ranching sites and camps, such as Beaver Creek Camp, that illustrate the mid-century grazing economy of western South Dakota.