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1947 Map of El Portal

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of El Portal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

El Portal serves as a central hub for this late-1940s survey, situated along the Merced River at the gateway to the high Sierras. The landscape is defined by the steep canyon walls where the Yosemite All-Year Highway and the historic Old Coulterville Road navigate the complex terrain. Settlement patterns are concentrated near the water and transport routes, with small communities like Rancheria Flat and Incline marking the human footprint in an otherwise wilderness-heavy area.

Government management of the land is evident through the Merced Grove Ranger Sta and the Indian Flat Guard Sta. The map captures a moment when the regional economy was transitioning from earlier extractive activities—hinted at by several Prospects near Trumbull Peak—toward the recreational and administrative needs of the national park and forest systems. High points like Eagle Peak and Brown Peak loom over the river forks, illustrating the isolation of outposts like Hite Cove along the South Fork Merced River.