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1941 Map of Mt. Douglas

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Mt. Douglas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Mt Douglas and the high elevations of the Beartooth Range dominate this mid-century survey, conducted shortly before the United States entered World War II. The landscape is defined by the massive Boulder Plateau and the deeply carved drainages of the Boulder River and Stillwater River. Evidence of early 20th-century resource extraction and backcountry management appears through the Gish Mine and isolated government outposts like the Fourmile Guard Station and Box Canyon Guard Station.

Remote livestock operations such as Clydehurst Ranch and Hells Canyon Ranch mark the transition from the river valleys to the high peaks. The map reveals an intricate network of high-alpine water bodies, including Rainbow Lakes, Mirror Lake, and Lake Pinchot, connected by rugged paths like the Stillwater Trail. This data, gathered by surveyors J. L. Lewis and J. J. Hayes, preserves the layout of the Gallatin National Forest and Custer National Forest at a time when these areas were primarily accessible by trail.