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2020 Map of Fossil Lake

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Fossil Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Custer National Forest, Gallatin National Forest, and Shoshone National Forest converge in this high-altitude landscape along the Montana and Wyoming border. The topography is defined by an immense concentration of alpine water bodies, including the central Fossil Lake and the Sky Top Lakes group to the north. Distinctive mountain peaks such as Mid Mtn, Mt Rosebud, and Mt Dewey rise above the basin, providing landmarks for those navigating the backcountry.

The presence of the Beartooth National Scenic Byway in the southwest corner indicates the primary corridor for modern access to this wilderness. Local history is etched into the landscape through curiously named features like Leaky Raft Lake, Pneumonia Lake, and No Bones Lake. The map serves as a record of the complex drainage patterns of the high Beartooth Plateau, where features like Rock Island Butte and Bald Knob punctuate a terrain of granite and glacial lakes.