1966 Map of Silver Butte Pass

About this map

Silver Butte Pass serves as a critical geographic divide in this high-altitude corner of the Kootenai National Forest and Kaniksu National Forest. The landscape is defined by the headwaters of the Silver Butte Fisher River and Trapper Creek, where the drainage patterns illustrate a complex network of mountain ridges. Industrial activity in the mid-1960s is evidenced by the presence of the Viking Mine and Vermilion Mine, alongside several sites simply marked as Prospect. Movement through the steep terrain is largely restricted to a primitive infrastructure of trails, such as the Divide Trail (Pack) and Bear Lakes Trail (Pack). Further south, the boundary between Lincoln Co and Sanders Co crosses just north of Elk Mountain, marking a remote transition where alpine waters gather into Elk Lake.