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1996 Map of Thunder Lake

Name: 1996 Topographic Map of Thunder Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1998
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1998

About this map

Chippewa National Forest and Land O Lakes State Forest converge in this water-rich pocket of Cass County, defined by a complex glacial landscape of interconnected lakes and conservation areas. The map is anchored by the expansive waters of Thunder Lake and Big Rice Lake, the latter of which includes a dedicated Wildlife Area. To the east, the Smoky Hollow State Wildlife Area covers the terrain of Smoky Hollow, illustrating the region's 20th-century focus on managed wilderness and habitat preservation.

Evidence of local resource management and fire prevention is visible at the Ben Draper Lookout and nearby Communication Towers. The map details a dense network of smaller water bodies such as Laura Lake, Pug Hole Lake, and Washburn Lake, alongside several Gravel Pits that suggest local infrastructure maintenance within the forest boundaries. This survey records the late 1990s state of these protected Minnesota woods before further modern development altered the rural landscape.