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1956 Map of Silver Lake

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Silver Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Tragedy Spring and the nearby Plasse Trading Post (Site) anchor this mid-century survey of the high Sierras at the junction of Amador, Alpine, and Calaveras counties. The landscape is defined by the recreation and resource management of the Eldorado National Forest, featuring a dense network of organized camps such as Camp Winton (BSA), Podesta Camp, and the Campfire Girls Camp. Water management is central to the area's character, evidenced by Twin Lakes Reservoir and Silver Lake, supported by numerous gaging stations and dams.

The terrain rises toward the massive Mokelumne Peak and Thimble Peak, while traces of earlier frontier life persist at the Lost Cabin Mine and a small cemetery near Kirkwood. The map captures a moment when the mountain economy was transitioning from early mining and trading into a hub for summer youth camps and hydroelectric development, all while maintaining remote outposts like Cole Creek Cabin and Upper Pardoes Camp.