2016 Map of Riley

About this map

Riley stands as a focal point in this Saint Louis County landscape, situated at a junction of rural routes and the northern edge of a extensive wetland network. The area's geography is defined by the winding course of the W Swan River, which drains the southern portions of the quadrangle. A system of family-named roads, such as Anderson Rd, Gust Erickson Rd, and A Matson Rd, reveals a pattern of local homesteading and land ownership characteristic of this part of Minnesota. To the west, Harriett Lake and Little Harriett Lake provide clear markers amidst the low-lying terrain. The transition from the more developed northern road grid, including Meadowlands Trunk Rd, to the more saturated southern marshes illustrates the drainage challenges and land-use patterns common to the Mesabi Range periphery in the early 21st century.