1978 Map of Moose Butte

About this map

Nez Perce National Forest dominates this topographic study of Idaho's high country, where the landscape is defined by the complex drainage of the Red River. The map documents a rugged wilderness carved by water, showing the convergence of the West Fork Red River, Middle Fork Red River, and South Fork Red River. Evidence of previous resource extraction is visible along the northern river banks, most notably the Dredge Tailings and the Old Portland Mine located near the headwaters of Relief Creek. This 1978 edition records a transition in forest management, where mechanized transport is restricted to scattered Jeep Trails while older Pack Trails remain the primary means of reaching peaks like Moose Butte and Porters Mtn. The detailed topography illustrates the isolation of this mining and timber region before modern infrastructure reached deep into the drainage basins of Deer Creek and Moose Meadow Creek.