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1885 Map of Lake

Name: 1885 Topographic Map of Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Yellowstone Lake dominates this wilderness landscape, showing the complex aquatic geography of the Flat Mountain Arm, South Arm, and South East Arm. The 1885 survey, overseen by geographer J.H. Renshawe, captures the region before extensive modern infrastructure, where the few signs of human presence are isolated outposts like Snowshoe Cabin and the Sylvan Lodge East Entrance. The map detail reveals the intricate shoreline of The Promontory and notable islands such as Frank Island and Dot Island.

Southward, the Continental Divide snakes through the Chicken Ridge toward Mt Hancock, separating the watersheds of the Heart River and the upper reaches of Pacific Creek. To the east, the Absaroka Range is defined by peaks named for early explorers and surveyors, including Mt Doane, Mt Langford, and Mt Stevenson. This reconnaissance-style mapping documents the critical intersections of the Shoshone National Forest and the park boundary, preserving a record of high-altitude hydrology and the drainage patterns of the Thorofare Creek valley.