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1986 Map of Fossil Lake

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Fossil Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Fossil Lake and the surrounding high-altitude plateaus of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness dominate this 1980s landscape at the Montana-Wyoming border. This environment is characterized by an exceptional density of glacial tarns and small water bodies, many with descriptive or peculiar names such as Pneumonia Lake, No Bones Lake, and Fizzle Lake. The map details the convergence of the Gallatin National Forest and Shoshone National Forest, illustrating a region where high peaks like Mount Dewey and Mount Rosebud overlook a network of alpine basins.

The human imprint on this wilderness is limited to essential navigational aids, including numerous routes labeled Pack Tr. These paths connect significant water features like Upper Aero Lake and Lower Aero Lake with distinctive terrain landmarks such as Rock Island Butte. This survey serves as a precise record of the lake-strewn topography before modern environmental shifts, capturing the complex drainage patterns of Rosebud Creek and Sky Top Lakes.