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1997 Map of Graphite Mountain

Name: 1997 Topographic Map of Graphite Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2002
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2002

About this map

Graphite Mountain and the high ridges of the Beaverhead National Forest dominate this late-twentieth-century landscape, which includes portions of the Dillon Ranger District. The map reveals a high-altitude wilderness defined by its seasonal grazing and mining potential. Evidence of human activity is sparse but telling, centered on the Hanson Sheep Hdqrs in the southern reaches, suggesting the importance of high-country livestock management.

Numerous Prospects and individual Prospect sites are scattered across the drainage basins of Sweeney Gulch and Porcupine Canyon, indicating a history of mineral exploration in the shadow of peaks like Sourdough Peak and Ellis Peak. The network of springs, such as Bear Canyon Spring and Johnson Spring, provides essential water sources for both local wildlife and the industries that once carved out a living in this remote corner of Beaverhead County.