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1951 Map of Point Lay

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Point Lay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Point Lay serves as the primary coastal hub on this Arctic coastline, situated on a barrier island between the Chukchi Sea and the expansive Kasegaluk Lagoon. This 1951 survey, compiled from Trimetrogon photography and USGS fieldwork, illustrates a remote maritime landscape where the Kokolik River and Kukpowruk River drain into the lagoon system. The inland terrain rises from coastal marshes toward the Amatusuk Hills in the southeast.

Evidence of seasonal movement and aviation history is visible through the marked Winter Trail following the coast and a designated Landing Area near the settlement. Further south along the shore, the map identifies the location of Naokok, while the prominent Cape Beaufort anchors the southwestern corner of the sheet. The complex network of waterways, including the Epizetka River and Niklavik Creek, highlights the importance of river drainage for travel and subsistence in this North Slope region.