1956 Map of Philip Smith Mountains

About this map

The Philip Smith Mountains and the Brooks Range dominate this mid-century survey of the Arctic wilderness, where the continental divide separates waters flowing toward the Arctic Ocean from those feeding the Yukon River system. The drainage patterns are defined by the northward-flowing Sagavanirktok River and Kuparuk River, while the southern slopes descend into the Middle Fork Chandalar River and the Endicott Mountains. Significant landmarks include the remote settlement of Oksrukuyik and several large glacial bodies of water such as Elusive Lake, Galbraith Lake, and Itkillik Lake. This mapping period captures the region before the development of the Dalton Highway or the trans-Alaska pipeline, showing a landscape defined entirely by its complex topography and river networks like the Atigun River and Wind River.