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1951 Map of Seward D-5

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Seward D-5
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Whittier serves as the focal point of this coastal survey, highlighting its strategic position at the head of Passage Canal. The landscape is dominated by the massive ice fields of the Chugach Mountains, where the Surprise Glacier, Harriman Glacier, and Portage Glacier terminate in deep tidewater bays. The critical transportation link of the Alaska Railroad is clearly delineated, showing its passage through The Tunnel beneath the peaks to reach the terminal at Whittier.

Glacial retreat is evident in the formation of Portage Lake, while the topography reveals the difficult route over Portage Pass through the Chugach National Forest. Smaller features like the FAA Station and the various coves of Blackstone Bay, including Shotgun Cove, illustrate the sparse but essential infrastructure required to navigate and inhabit this portion of the Greater Anchorage Area Borough in the mid-20th century.