1952 Map of Gulkana D-5

About this map

Middle Fork Gulkana River and the Maclaren River dominate this interior Alaskan landscape, which remains largely devoid of permanent settlements or infrastructure during the mid-century. The intricate hydrologic network is defined by high-elevation water bodies like Dickey Lake and the Tangle Lakes, connected by unnamed tributaries and the meandering Middle Fork. The map documents a strictly natural wilderness, shaped by the Keg peaks and deep drainage basins of Keg Creek and Moose Creek. The presence of the Fourth and Third Judicial Division boundary indicates the administrative partitioning of this expansive territory during the early 1950s, shortly after aerial photography of the region was completed in 1949. This map is a primary resource for understanding the pristine state of the upper Gulkana watershed before modern recreational or resource development.