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1959 Map of Mount Hancock

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Mount Hancock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Big Game Ridge and the winding course of the Snake River dominate this high-altitude landscape within the Teton National Forest. The 1959 field survey documents a wilderness infrastructure defined by a network of pack trails and remote outposts, including the Harebell Creek Patrol Cabin and Fox Park Patrol Cabin. These structures, positioned along key drainage points and forest boundaries, reflect the era's reliance on ranger patrols for backcountry management before modern motorized access became common.

The topography is anchored by the Continental Divide, which separates the headwaters of the Heart River and Snake River from the eastern slopes. Distinctive features like Mount Hancock and Barlow Peak provide significant vertical relief, while the Two Ocean Plateau in the northeast highlights a rare hydrological environment where waters part toward different oceans. The absence of roads and the presence of numerous small creeks, such as Chicken Creek and Wolverine Creek, emphasize the strictly primitive character of this section of Teton County at the close of the 1950s.