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2020 Map of Nelson

Name: 2020 Topographic Map of Nelson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2020
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2020

About this map

Nelson lies at the heart of this landscape, situated within the protected bounds of the Helena National Forest. The area is defined by a dense network of gulches and canyons that carve through the high peaks of the Big Belt Mountains, including Sacajawea Mtn, Sawtooth Mtn, and Sheep Mtn. Steep drainage systems like Refrigerator Canyon and Coulter Canyon reveal the complex verticality of the terrain, where water sources such as Turnout Spring and Beaver Cr provided critical resources for early Montana backcountry travel.

Local infrastructure is represented by a small network of access ways, notably Beaver Creek Rd and Nelson Rd, which connect the scattered mountain features. The presence of named landmarks like Devils Tower and the diverse collection of gulches—from Favorite Gulch to Checkerboard Gulch—offers a detailed look at how the early settlers and Forest Service personnel partitioned and identified this mountainous interior.