1955 Map of Dromedary Peak

About this map

Alta sits high among the jagged peaks of the Wasatch Range, serving as a focal point for this mid-century look at the intensive mining activity that shaped these canyons. The landscape is perforated with the remnants of industrial labor, featuring an extensive network of shafts and drainage systems such as the Wasatch Drain Tunnel and the Sells Tunnel. In the north, Big Cottonwood Canyon provides access to concentrated workings including the Cardiff Mine, Reed and Benson Mine, and Flagstaff Mine. High alpine basins are marked by names like Mineral Flat and Mineral Basin, where high-altitude geology meets the engineering efforts of the 1950s. Natural features like Lake Blanche and the towering Dromedary Peak define the physical limits of these drainages, while the Salt Lake and Utah county line traverses the southern ridges above American Fork Canyon.