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1996 Map of Emerald Lake

Name: 1996 Topographic Map of Emerald Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1999
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1999

About this map

The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness dominates the southern reaches of this Montana landscape, where high-elevation terrain meets the northern boundary of the Custer National Forest. Centered on the Fishtail Plateau, the topography is defined by significant drainage systems including West Fishtail Creek and East Fishtail Creek to the north, and the West Rosebud Lake area to the south. This 1990s record captures the land's transition from managed forest to protected wilderness, bisected by the First Standard Parallel South.

Human activity is concentrated along the periphery, evidenced by the Bedford School and Hash Ranch in the northeast and a Boat Ramp at Emerald Lake. The rugged interior features remote water bodies such as Crater Lake and Lily Pad Lake, while the southeastern corner shows the Stillwater and Carbon County line descending into Black Canyon. The presence of several Prospects near the wilderness boundary hints at the mineral exploration history of this mountain front.