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1981 Map of Missoula West

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Missoula West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Missoula serves as the primary urban center in this 1981 survey, where the Burlington Northern railroad lines meet the confluence of regional highways. The landscape transitions from the developed valley at Grass Valley and De Smet into the high elevations of the Clearwater Mountains and the Williams Range. This map documents a critical trans-mountain corridor along Route 12, crossing through Lolo Pass at the border of Montana and Idaho.

South of the city, the Bitterroot River valley is dotted with established communities like Lolo, Florence, and Stevensville. Much of the western portion of the map is defined by protected lands, including the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and Lolo National Forest, where features like Lolo Hot Springs and numerous lookouts provide evidence of both recreation and forest management in the late 20th century.