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1955 Map of Pyramid Peak

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Pyramid Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Sciots Camp and Strawberry serve as primary points of human presence along the South Fork American River in this 1955 survey of the Sierra Nevada. The map documents a landscape transitioning from historical resource extraction to organized recreation, evidenced by the presence of a Prospect and the Lyons (Site) alongside established facilities like the Pyramid Guard Sta and Camp Cody (BSA). The high-altitude wilderness is characterized by an exceptional concentration of glacial lakes, including Lake Aloha, Wrights Lake, and Desolation Lake, many of which are contained within the Desolation Valley Wilderness Area.

Navigation through the peaks and flats such as Mortimer Flat is facilitated by a network of primitive routes, including the Windmill Trail and various unnamed jeep trails. The topography is dominated by massive granite features like Pyramid Pk and the sheer face of Lovers Leap, which tower over the river canyon. This edition, with purple revisions from 1969, provides a precise look at the mid-century infrastructure of the Eldorado National Forest.