1955 Map of Demarcation Point D-5

About this map

Arctic National Wildlife Range spans this coastal tundra landscape on the North Slope, documented during a mid-1950s survey. The terrain is characterized by a complex network of braided river systems and countless small thaw lakes, with the Okpilak River and Akutoktak River cutting north toward the Arctic Ocean. The presence of a single Tractor Trail in the northwestern corner suggests the sparse, seasonal nature of overland movement in this era, long before modern infrastructure reached these northern reaches. High points in the landscape are marked by named peaks like Kay, Willa, and Caribou, which served as primary landmarks for surveyors from the Army Map Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The map captures the raw, unsurveyed character of the land, where townships and sections were predetermined by federal agencies but had yet to be physically marked on the ground.