1951 Map of Naknek C-1

About this map

Naknek Lake dominates this 1951 topographic study, which captures the interior of the Alaska Peninsula during a period of transition in federal land management. The expanse of the Naknek Lake (North Arm) is depicted alongside the southern boundaries of the Katmai Wilderness, an area that would later see its status codified under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. The map reveals a landscape defined by water and administrative borders, including the line for the Bristol Bay Borough and the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. While the terrain is absent of roads or permanent settlements in this era, the survey establishes the critical relationship between Katmai National Park and the surrounding protected wilderness areas. This edition, featuring revisions from 1983, serves as a record of the region's geography before modern infrastructure or increased human activity altered the peninsula's wild character.