1956 Map of Mount Michelson B-3

About this map

The Arctic National Wildlife Range occupies the vast majority of this 1956 landscape, a territory defined by the dramatic ascent of the Third Range. This remote interior section of the North Slope reveals a complex drainage network where the Sadlerochit River and its tributaries, such as Snow Creek and Whistler Creek, carve through the high mountain terrain. The map details the expansive Ikiakpaurak Valley and Ikiakpuk Valley, which served as natural corridors through the wilderness long before formal infrastructure arrived. These topographical details, captured from aerial photographs and field-annotated in the mid-1950s, record the region's natural state at the dawn of modern conservation efforts. Other notable water features include Fire Creek, Gravel Creek, and Eagle Creek, each tracing the narrow valleys between towering peaks.