1953 Map of Granite Chief

About this map

Granite Chief stands as a prominent sentinel over this Sierra Nevada landscape, where the North Fork American River begins its descent through the Picayune Valley. The 1953 field check documents a high-altitude wilderness defined by the Tahoe State Game Refuge and the headwaters of numerous creeks including Deep Creek, Pole Creek, and Whisky Creek. Historic markers like the Watson Monument Emigrant Pass Marker and the Johnson Monument indicate the long-standing significance of these passes for travelers and surveyors. Settlement is sparse, limited to seasonal sites like Whisky Creek Camp and the Talbot Campground. The map traces a network of high-country water bodies, from the secluded Mildred Lakes on Mildred Ridge to the popular Five Lakes and Shirley Lake near Squaw Peak.