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1981 Map of Salmon

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Salmon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Continental Divide serves as the jagged spine of this 1980s landscape, marking the high-altitude boundary between Idaho and Montana. To the west, the Salmon River and Lemhi River converge near the community of Salmon, while to the east, the headwaters of the Big Hole River wind through Horse Prairie. This region is defined by its massive mountain systems, including the Beaverhead Mountains and the Bitterroot Range, which have historically constrained travel and settlement to the valley floors.

Mineral extraction sites such as the Elkhorn Mine, Magna Mine, and Silver King Mine are scattered across the high country, reflecting the area's long-standing reliance on the timber and mining industries. Small settlements like Baker, Carmen, and Jackson serve as outposts within the sprawling Salmon and Beaverhead National Forests, where the terrain remains largely dominated by its natural drainage patterns and the peaks of the Pioneer Mountains.