1982 Map of Manistee NW

About this map

Lake Michigan dominates the western shoreline along this stretch of the Michigan coast, where the waters meet the wooded expanse of the Manistee National Forest. The map documents a sparsely settled landscape defined by the boundary between Manistee and Mason counties. A network of rural corridors including Sass Road, Jepson Road, and Freesoil Road grid the interior, providing access to the coastal bluffs and forested tracts. Along the southern edge of the sheet, Cooper Creek winds toward the lake, crossed by Cooper Road. The presence of the Indian Trail suggests older transit patterns integrated into the modern road system. This survey represents the topography and land use of the early 1980s, highlighting the intersection of managed federal forest lands and private rural holdings just north of the more developed coastal centers.