1952 Map of Russian Mission C-5

About this map

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Portage traverses a water-saturated landscape dominated by thousands of small ponds and larger basins like Kulik Lake and Kukaklik Lake. This 1952 topographic study, derived from aerial photography by the Army Map Service, documents a critical overland connection between two of Alaska's primary river systems. Near the northern edge, a lone Shelter Cabin sits along the Yukon River at Albiksok, providing a rare point of human infrastructure in an otherwise untamed environment of meandering waterways. The drainage pattern is defined by the Johnson River and Crooked Creek, which thread through the maze of kettle lakes. The map captures the region's hydrography before significant modern changes, illustrating the historic transit routes used by locals and travelers to navigate the low-lying tundra.