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1988 Map of Polaris Peak

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Polaris Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The steep terrain of the Idaho panhandle's mining country is the focus of this late-twentieth-century study, where the Coeur d'Alene National Forest meets the St Joe National Forest. The landscape is dominated by the high points of Polaris Peak and Silver Hill, defined by a dense network of extraction sites including numerous labeled prospects and an Adit. This concentration of mining activity, particularly around Mc Farren Gulch and the ridges above Big Creek, indicates the ongoing mineral exploration and timber management that shaped the region's economy.

Accessibility is limited to a system of primitive routes and a Pack Trail that winds through the drainage basins of Elk Creek and Mc Phee Creek. While largely unpopulated, the map identifies specific geographic waypoints like Kellogg Saddle and Bronson Meadows that served as crucial markers for travelers and surveyors. Water resources are plentiful, with Elsie Lake and its surrounding peaks providing a significant natural landmark within this high-altitude wilderness.