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1947 Map of Mt. Steel

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Mt. Steel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Olympic National Park and the adjacent Olympic National Forest dominate this 1940s landscape, revealing the early infrastructure of the wilderness area across the Jefferson and Mason County line. The map captures a transition era where backcountry access relied heavily on a network of remote waypoints like the Enchanted Valley Trail and the Chalet. Strategic shelters and camps, such as the Nine Stream Shelter, Duckabush Shelter, and Camp Pleasant, suggest a burgeoning recreational and administrative presence in the high country.

Industrial and scientific activity appears in isolated pockets, notably at the Darky Mine and the Staircase Gaging Sta on the North Fork Skokomish River. The terrain is defined by dramatic peaks and glaciers, including Mt Anderson with its Eel Glacier and Hanging Glacier, feeding into major water systems like the Dosewallips River and Elwha River. This survey serves as a record of the park's mid-century footprint, from the Lincoln Guard Sta to the scattered cabins and meadows used by early rangers and explorers.