1986 Map of Devils Fence

About this map

Helena National Forest and Deerlodge National Forest meet in this 1980s landscape, where the Jefferson and Broadwater county lines intersect near the prominent summit of Devils Fence. The topography is characterized by a dense network of gulches and water sources, suggesting an environment where water management was critical for the local economy. Evidence of mineral exploration and historical extractive industry is widespread across the terrain, notably near Frenchman Hill and throughout the southern reaches of the quadrangle. Small-scale resource extraction is indicated by scattered Mine Shaft locations and numerous unnamed Prospects. High-elevation springs such as Rogers Spring, Hope Spring, and Spears Gulch Spring provide the headwaters for drainages like Sand Creek and Slim Sam Creek, forming a complex drainage pattern that has likely guided travel and land use through these forest lands for generations.