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1981 Map of Ensign Lake West

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Ensign Lake West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Basswood Lake and the interconnected waterways of the Boundary Waters dominate this 1981 record of the international border between Minnesota and Ontario. The map centers on the critical transit point at Prairie Portage, where a Ranger Cabin and Port of Entry manage the movement between the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park.

The landscape is an intricate network of islands and bays, including Hunter Island and Bayley Bay. Named features like Hobo Island, Beaver Island, and Horseshoe Island illustrate the detailed hydrography of the region. This survey captures the wilderness character of the Superior National Forest before modern digital mapping, preserving the specific locations of remote portages and water bodies such as Newfound Lake and Moose Lake that have served travelers for generations.