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1947 Map of El Portal

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of El Portal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Merced River serves as the central artery for this 1947 study, cutting through the canyon where the boundaries of Yosemite National Park, Stanislaus National Forest, and Sierra National Forest converge. The settlement of El Portal is clearly mapped along the riverbanks, serving as a gateway community just west of the park entrance. Historical transportation routes are prominent, including the Yosemite All-Year Highway and the Old Coulterville Road, which negotiate the steep terrain of the canyon walls.

Evidence of the region's industrial and administrative history is visible at Clearing House and the Indian Flat Guard Sta. To the north, the Merced Grove Big Trees stands as a significant natural landmark, while the southern portion of the map is dominated by Pinoche Ridge and the Hite Cove settlement along the South Fork Merced River. The presence of numerous prospects suggests the mining activity that once defined these river gulches.