1959 Map of Pine Lake West

About this map

The international border between the Ontario and Minnesota runs directly through Mountain Lake, marking the northern edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This 1950s survey, updated in the 1980s, details the remote glacial topography of the Superior National Forest, where high ridges like Moose Mountain rise over a dense network of water bodies. The map captures the specialized hydrology of the region, including the elongated basins of West Pike Lake and Pine Lake, which were historically vital for canoe-based travel and logging. Smaller features such as Spaulding Lake, Gogebic Lake, and Puff Creek are recorded with precision, reflecting a landscape almost entirely defined by its water routes and complex elevation contours rather than permanent human settlements.