2020 Map of Elk Mountain

About this map

Elk Mtn and Butler Butte anchor this corner of Cowlitz County, where the high ridges of the Cascades separate multiple major river systems. The northern reach of the map is defined by the South Fork Toutle River, including the drainage of Whitten Cr and Harrington Cr. This 2020 survey reveals a landscape of deep vertical relief, shaped by the waters of the N Fork Kalama River and the headwaters of the Coweeman River. Smaller named summits like Little Cow and Big Bull punctuate the ridges above Trouble Cr. Coweeman Lake sits at the base of the peaks, collecting drainage from Butler Cr before it feeds into the river system. The map provides a contemporary view of these named geographic features and the intricate drainage network of Cedar Cr and Elk Cr as they appeared in the early twenty-first century.