Loading map...

2011 Map of Elk Mountain

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Elk Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Elk Mountain dominates the high ridgelines of Missoula County in this 2011 survey, serving as a primary landmark for a network of forest service roads and drainage basins. The area is defined by a series of prominent high-altitude crossings, including Holloman Saddle, Yukon Saddle, and Eightmile Saddle, which connect the deep valleys of the Sapphire Range. These saddles were critical for historical transit between the various forks of the local creek systems, notably Swartz Creek and Eightmile Creek.

Evidence of local resource management and navigation is visible at named points such as Two Y Junction and S and G Saddle. Water sources like Last Drink Springs highlight the necessities of travel through this steep terrain, while the complex drainage of Gilbert Creek and its southern fork show the area's significance to the larger watershed. The map provides a look at the modern forest infrastructure, including the Schwartz Creek Rd, overlaid on a landscape that remains shaped by its early surveying and naming conventions.