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1956 Map of Mount Whitney

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Mount Whitney
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Mount Whitney dominates the eastern edge of this mid-century survey, marking the dramatic boundary where the Sierra Nevada falls away into the Inyo National Forest. The map documents a high-altitude wilderness defined by the Great Western Divide and the Kings-Kern Divide, where the upper reaches of the Kern Canyon separate Kings Canyon National Park from Sequoia National Park.

Remote infrastructure of the 1950s is sparse but significant, featuring the Tyndall Creek Ranger Station and Crabtree Ranger Station along the winding route of the John Muir Trail. In the rugged basins below the peaks, numerous high-elevation lakes like Tulainyo Lake, Lake Reflection, and the Crabtree Lakes are meticulously charted. The transition from the sheer rock of Table Mountain to the flat expanse of the Chagoopa Plateau illustrates the complex topography that governed early trail development and park management.