1953 Map of Juneau D-3

About this map

Berners Bay serves as the terminal point for a massive glacial drainage system in Southeast Alaska, as documented in this 1953 topographic study. The landscape is defined by the heavy braiding of the Lace River, Berners River, and Antler River, which deposit silt into the broad Mud flats at the head of the bay. These glacial rivers carve through the protected lands of the Tongass National Forest, creating a complex network of shifting channels and islands. While the area is largely characterized by this dynamic hydrology, a single Cabin appears near the western shore of the bay, marking a rare point of human infrastructure in an otherwise remote wilderness. The 1953 aerial photography captures the extent of the ice fields and the precise boundaries of the national forest before later 20th-century shifts in the glacial and forest environment.