1953 Map of Mount McKinley A-4

About this map

Foraker Glacier and Herron Glacier dominate the southeastern reach of this terrain, where massive ice fields transition into a complex network of glacial meltwater streams. The landscape is defined by the outflow of the Foraker River and Herron River, which snake through the protected expanse of Denali National Park (Wilderness). This mid-century survey captures a remote subarctic environment before modern climatic shifts, documenting the precise extent of the ice and the drainage patterns of tributaries like Highpower Creek and White Creek. The mapping of features such as Somber Creek and Barren Creek underscores the isolation and nomenclature of this interior Alaskan region, serving as a baseline for the wilderness as it was understood in the early 1950s.