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1956 Map of Kern Peak

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Kern Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Kern River flows through the center of this high Sierra landscape, cutting a deep path between the Chagoopa Plateau and the Boreal Plateau. This mid-century survey documents the backcountry infrastructure of the Sequoia National Park and surrounding national forests, highlighting isolated outposts such as the Chagoopa Falls Ranger Station and the Kern Canyon Ranger Station. The inclusion of the Tunnel Meadow Landing Strip and the Tunnel Air Camp reflects the importance of aviation for managing these remote regions in the 1950s.

The topography is defined by high-altitude meadows and distinctive geological formations, including the Malpais Lava fields and the Natural Bridge near Golden Trout Creek. From the Kern Peak Lookout to the Coyote Peaks, the map traces a network of trails such as the Sierra Trail and the Funston Trail, which connected various stringers and meadows like Big Whitney Meadow and Sky Parlor Meadow before later developments changed the wilderness access.