1951 Map of Mount Rae

About this map

Bruffey Homestead and a cluster of other abandoned residences suggest a shift in high-altitude ranching and settlement patterns within the Gallatin National Forest by the mid-20th century. The topography is dominated by the West Boulder Divide, which separates the drainages of Little Mission Creek and the Boulder River. This 1951 survey, with revisions from 1977, documents the transition from early pioneer homesteading to a more managed wilderness landscape, including the West Boulder Ranger Station and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. The presence of the Gordon School and working operations like the Bar Twenty Ranch alongside numerous former sites like the Swingley Ranch and Fisher Homestead provides a detailed record of land use at the edge of the wilderness. Rising above the river valleys, landmarks such as Shell Mountain, Lion Mountain, and Mount Rae define the high terrain of Park County.