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1956 Map of Killik River

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Killik River
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The Brooks Range and the Continental Divide anchor the southern reaches of this vast northern landscape, where the Killik River and its many tributaries carve through the Arctic terrain. This 1950s survey, updated in the early 1980s, documents the transition of these lands into federal protections such as Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Gates of the Arctic Wilderness. The map reveals a land defined by its water systems, including the Colville River and significant high-latitude lakes like Kurupa Lake and Imiaknikpak Lake.

Human presence is sparse and temporary in this environment, indicated by the Winter Trail cutting across the northern foothills and the isolated Ivotuk Landing Strip near the Etivluk Hills. The northern section is dominated by the Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4, illustrating the administrative partitioning of the North Slope before later conservation designations were fully established. Distinctive landforms such as Pingauligit Mountain and the Itikilikruich Ridges serve as essential markers in a region without permanent settlements.