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1951 Map of Mount Katmai B-5

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Mount Katmai B-5
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Katmai National Monument dominates this mid-century landscape, capturing a region shaped by intense volcanic activity and the complex hydrology of the Alaska Peninsula. The centerpiece is the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, where the confluence of Knife Creek, Windy Creek, and the River Lethe form the headwaters of the Ukak River. These glacial and volcanic streams cut through ash-filled basins beneath the steep slopes of the Buttress Range and the prominent peak of Mt Katolinat.

The settlement at Three Forks provides a rare point of human reference in a territory defined by its physical geography. In the northern reaches, the Naknek Lake (Iliuk Arm) serves as a primary drainage for Margot Creek. This 1951 survey, based on aerial photography, documents the post-eruption drainage patterns of the valley before further ecological shifts occurred, offering a baseline for geologists and wilderness historians studying the evolution of this terrain.