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1984 Map of Seward D-5 SW

Name: 1984 Topographic Map of Seward D-5 SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Whittier stands at the western edge of Passage Canal, serving as a critical rail and maritime link within the Municipality of Anchorage. This 1984 survey documents the glacial landscape of the Chugach National Forest before significant modern changes to ice coverage. The map illustrates the convergence of major ice flows, including the Portage Glacier, Whittier Glacier, and Learard Glacier, which dominate the local topography alongside peaks like Maynard Mountain.

The strategic corridor through Portage Pass connects the tidewaters of the canal to the inland drainage of Portage Lake and Portage Creek. This geography reveals the fundamental transportation constraints of the era, where the settlement’s position was dictated by the narrow navigable path between the mountains and the sea. Smaller features such as Divide Lake and Shakespeare Glacier provide further detail on the intricate hydrology of this subarctic environment.