1985 Map of Shungnak A-3

About this map

The Purcell Mountains dominate the northern terrain of this mid-1980s Alaskan survey, rising steeply to the Continental Divide along the northwestern edge. This wilderness is largely defined by the sprawling Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge, which covers the southern half of the map with a complex network of wetlands and seasonal water bodies. Billy Hawk Creek meanders through the central lowlands, providing a natural drainage for the upland slopes. Human presence is minimal and transient, evidenced primarily by a solitary Tractor Trail that cuts across the central landscape. The map illustrates the raw character of the Northwest Arctic and Yukon-Koyukuk borderlands before modern development, where the landscape is shaped more by hydrology and elevation than by settlement.