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2017 Map of McCarthy A-4 SE

Name: 2017 Topographic Map of McCarthy A-4 SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2017
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2017

About this map

The Chugach Mountains dominate the southern half of this landscape, rising sharply from the drainage basins that feed into the Chitina River. This 2017 study illustrates the administrative boundary between the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Preserve to the north and the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park to the south. The transition from the broad, braided channels of the river and features like Bryson Bar into the steep, unnamed ridgelines of the Chugach range highlights the transition from glacial valley floor to high-elevation wilderness.

Water serves as the primary sculptor of this terrain, with numerous drainages such as Canyon Creek, Discovery Cr, and Coffee Cr cutting through the interior. These corridors provide the only natural passage through a region defined by its lack of roads or permanent settlements. For researchers of the Copper River region, the map provides a precise look at the hydrography and topography of the Wrangell-Saint Elias backcountry in the early twenty-first century.