1956 Map of Sagavanirktok

About this map

The Sagavanirktok River dominates this mid-century view of Alaska's North Slope, flowing north toward the Beaufort Sea through a landscape defined by braided river systems and expansive tundra. Surveyed in the 1950s, the map illustrates the transition from the high peaks of the Brooks Range foothills, including Kakukturat Mtn, down to the prominent Franklin Bluffs along the river's eastern bank. Evidence of early remote exploration is visible through the notation of a Tractor Trail crossing the White Hills and a Winter Trail cutting through the northeast. These paths suggest the seasonal nature of movement in this territory before permanent infrastructure was established. Significant tributaries like the Kuparuk River, Ivishak River, and Lupine River carve through the terrain, highlighting the complex drainage patterns that characterize this Arctic environment during the summer melt.