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1991 Map of Sweetwater Needles

Name: 1991 Topographic Map of Sweetwater Needles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1997
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1997

About this map

The Continental Divide anchors this high-elevation landscape, where the headwaters of the Sweetwater River and Little Sweetwater River originate. At the boundary of the Bridger Wilderness and the Shoshone National Forest, the terrain is defined by prominent granite features like the Sweetwater Needles and Atlantic Peak. This 1991 field-checked survey reveals a remote backcountry network of paths including the Dutch Joe Larsen Trail and the Christina Pass Trail, used to navigate the subalpine basins and high ridges.

The transition between the Pinedale Ranger District National Forest Boundary and wilderness areas is marked by a landscape largely devoid of permanent settlement, save for a lone Ranch and a scattered backcountry Station. Hydrology is central to the area's character, with drainage systems like Larsen Creek and Blair Creek carving through the granite. The map also delineates the precise border between Sublette Co and Fremont Co, tracking the crest of the divide through this high Wyoming wilderness.