1951 Map of De Long Mountains

About this map

The Brooks Range and the De Long Mountains dominate this early 1950s reconnaissance, a time when the Department of the Navy and the Geological Survey were intensely mapping the Naval Petroleum Reserve. The landscape is defined by its massive river systems, including the Kukpowruk River and Kokolik River, which flow north from the high peaks toward the Arctic Ocean. Near the coast at Cape Sabine, the presence of the Thetis Mine and a designated Winter Trail along the Chukchi Sea shoreline highlights the sparse but vital human activity in this northern territory. This document provides a record of original surveys and trimetrogon photography, detailing significant elevations like Poko Mountain and Mt Kelly before modern infrastructure reached these coastal and mountain regions.