1986 Map of Summit Lake

About this map

Yellowstone National Park terrain is defined here by the high-altitude hydrology of the Continental Divide, which snakes through the landscape. This 1986 survey documents a primitive backcountry environment where the Firehole River and Little Firehole River originate. The thermal activity central to the park's character is evidenced by numerous named geothermal features, including Smoke Jumper Hot Springs and various unnamed Hot Springs and a Hot Spring near the divide. A lone Pack Trail provides the only mapped infrastructure, connecting remote water bodies like Summit Lake, Little Summit Lake, and Plateau Lake. The presence of Little Firehole Meadows suggests the typical high-elevation opening in the timber, while drainages like Thirsty Creek and West Fork Iron Spring Creek feed the larger river systems of the American West.