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1953 Map of Sly Park

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Sly Park
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Sly Park Reservoir basin is shown here in its final stage of preparation, with blue hatching indicating the exact area destined to be submerged upon the completion of the Sly Park Dam. This transition marks a significant shift for the Eldorado National Forest, as the landscape moved from a focus on timber and mining toward water management and recreation. The map captures remnants of the region's industrial past, including the Shippen Mill (Site) and numerous hard-rock operations such as the Hazel Creek Mine and Blue Gouge Mine.

Deep in the rugged canyonlands, the Cosumnes River and its North Fork dominate the southern half of the sheet. Settlements and outposts like Happy Valley, Spring Flat, and the Grizzly Flat Guard Station provide evidence of early mountain life, while the network of logging roads and trails like Jerrys Grade trace the movement of people through the steep drainage basins of Canyon Creek and String Canyon.