1996 Map of Priest Lake NW

About this map

Kaniksu National Forest defines this northwestern portion of the Idaho panhandle, where the timbered slopes of Granite Mountain and Nickelplate Mountain rise above the western shores of Priest Lake. By the mid-1990s, the small settlement of Nordman served as a key hub for this remote interior, situated near the intersection of Reeder Creek and Granite Creek. The map documents a landscape transitioning from resource extraction to recreation, evidenced by the proximity of the Nickelplate Mine to shoreline developments like Ledgewood and the public docks at Reeder Bay. High-altitude features such as Armstrong Meadows and Beaver Pass reflect the area's difficult topography, while the First Guide Meridian West provides a formal surveying anchor for the intricate network of creeks and forest trails that crisscross the Bismarck Meadows region.