1962 Map of Meade River C-5

About this map

Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 dominates this landscape, which was meticulously compiled by the Army Map Service using photogrammetric methods from the mid-1950s. The terrain is defined by a dense network of lakes and tundra wetlands characteristic of the Arctic coastal plain. The Kungok River meanders across the northwestern portion of the sheet, providing a primary drainage route through this remote area. Human presence is remarkably sparse, indicated primarily by a singular Winter Trail that cuts through the wilderness. This map captures a moment of strategic interest and geographical study in northern Alaska, where the vastness of the petroleum reserve and the natural water systems were being formally documented for the first time by federal agencies like the Usc&GS.