Loading map...

2000 Map of Michigan Bluff

Name: 2000 Topographic Map of Michigan Bluff
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2003
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2003

About this map

Michigan Bluff sits high above the deep canyons of the Middle Fork American River in this survey of California's Gold Country. The landscape is a complex record of hydraulic and lode mining, dominated by the massive Big Gun Diggings just east of the main settlement. Further south, the Ralston Afterbay Reservoir marks the confluence of the river's forks, while the Foresthill Divide Road follows the ridgeline through the Tahoe National Forest.

Genealogists and mining historians will find dozens of named claims and historical locations, including the Hidden Treasure Mine, Daniel Webster Mine, and the site at Last Chance. The presence of the Sugar Loaf Cemetery and the Foresthill Forest Genetics Center highlights the area's transition from 19th-century extraction to modern forestry management. The rugged network of the Western States Trail winds through these steep grades, connecting historic camps like Ditch Camp and former sites such as Maintop.