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1984 Map of Missoula East

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Missoula East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The confluence of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot River shapes the development of this Montana corridor, where the city of Missoula serves as a major hub for education and industry. At the western edge, the University of Montana campus anchors the urban center, while small neighboring settlements like East Missoula, Milltown, and Bonner trace the river valley eastward. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the valley floor to the high elevations of the Garnet Range and the Sapphire Mountains, where historical extraction sites such as the Copper Cliff Mine and Whaley Mine reflect the region's mineral-rich history.

Transportation networks are heavily influenced by the mountain geography, with the Burlington Northern railroad and Interstate 90 following the tight curves of the Clark Fork through Clinton and Bearmouth. In the more remote interior, small crossroads and mining camps like Garnet, Coloma, and Beartown sit high in the timbered reaches of the Lolo National Forest, documenting the scattered pattern of late-20th-century mountain settlement and resource management.