1956 Map of Philip Smith Mountains

About this map

The Brooks Range dominates this mid-century survey, specifically where the Philip Smith Mountains and Endicott Mountains meet. This terrain is defined by the Continental Divide, which separates the north-flowing waters of the Sagavanirktok River from the south-flowing drainage of the Middle Fork Chandalar River. The map documents a landscape of numerous braided watercourses and remote alpine bodies like Itkillik Lake and Elusive Lake. Named peaks such as Itigaknit Mountain and Imnavait Mountain rise above valleys fed by Accomplishment Creek and the Atigun River. This 1956 field annotation reveals a region devoid of roads or trails at the time, providing a record of the drainage patterns and topographical features that preceded the significant industrial developments of the following decades.