1953 Map of Medfra C-4

About this map

The Nowitna River meanders through the northwest corner of this Interior Alaska landscape, establishing a drainage network that defines the region's topography. Based on aerial photography from the mid-1950s, the map reveals a wilderness largely devoid of permanent human infrastructure, with a single Cabin positioned near the riverbank as a solitary marker of residency or seasonal use. To the south, the terrain ascends sharply into the Sunshine Mountains and the formidable Mystery Mountains, where elevations rise to over 3,000 feet. A series of parallel waterways, including Clearwater Creek, Fire Creek, and Meadow Creek, flow northward from these heights toward the Nowitna. This survey documents the area before significant modern modification, preserving the original names of remote features like Canyon Creek and Cottonwood Creek in a territory primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management.