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1972 Map of Rein Lake

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Rein Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Lewis and Clark National Forest and Gallatin National Forest meet in this 1972 survey, documenting a rugged ranching landscape at the border of Wheatland and Sweet Grass counties. The topography is defined by the drainage systems of the American Fork and Sweet Grass Creek, where irrigation infrastructure like the American Fork Ditch, Tronrud Ditch, and Ranch Ditch reveals the intensive water management required for high-country agriculture.

Evidence of early mountain settlement is found at the Hopkins Cem and established homesteads such as the American Fork Ranch and Anchor Ranch. The map traces numerous watercourses, including the North Fork Elk Creek and three distinct branches of Spring Creek, which flow through a network of canyons and gulches like Rough Gulch. These features, alongside Rein Lake, provide a detailed look at the rural land use and natural hydrology of the Crazy Mountains vicinity during the early 1970s.