1951 Map of Desolation Butte

About this map

Whitman National Forest land defines this portion of Grant County, where the high ridges of the Blue Mountains meet the headwaters of the North Fork John Day River. The landscape is a network of remote outposts and resource extraction points, evidenced by numerous fire lookout and administrative sites such as Desolation Butte, Indian Rock, and Desolation Guard Station. Mining activity is scattered across the drainages, with the Skinner Mine near Farley Spr and the Gutridge Mine located along the river. These features suggest an era of active forest management and small-scale mineral prospecting. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, water management is visible at Olive Lake and its Upper Reservoir, while a widespread system of seasonal encampments like Mutton Camp and Lost Meadow Big Meadow Camp points to a history of timber work or livestock grazing in the high meadows.