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2017 Map of Esmeralda Hill

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of Esmeralda Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

Esmeralda Hill rises as a central landmark within the Helena National Forest, a landscape defined by an intricate network of drainage systems and high-elevation terrain along the border of Lewis and Clark and Powell Counties. The naming conventions of the gulches here, including the pairing of Faith Gulch and Charity Gulch, alongside Uncle Ben Gulch and McGuire Gulch, suggest the deep imprint of early prospecting and localized land claims.

Water sources are vital markers in this mountainous area, with Lois Lake and several named springs like Dana Spring, Cayuse Spring, and Pauly Springs providing necessary resources for both natural life and those traversing the Snow Shoe Creek Rd. The presence of the Left Hand Fork Deadman Cr and several other branching tributaries of Ophir Cr reveal the complex topography that governed movement and settlement patterns in this part of Montana during the early 21st century.