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1965 Map of Thunderbolt Mountain

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Thunderbolt Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Thunderbolt Mountain and the high ridges of the Swan Range define this 1965 topographic study of the Montana wilderness. The landscape is a complex network of high-altitude drainage basins, where Bunker Creek and the Swan River originate from the snowmelt of peaks like Gildart Peak and Warrior Mountain. The map detail captures the remote geography before modern encroachment, showing the established boundaries of the Flathead National Forest and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Navigation through this vertical terrain relied on an intricate system of pack trails rather than roads. The Alpine Trail and Swan State Forest Pack Trail trace the contours of the mountains, connecting significant points like Inspiration Pass and Inspiration Point. These paths provided the primary access to high-country water features such as Inspiration Lakes, Gildart Lake, and Bunker Lake, serving as critical infrastructure for forest management and early backcountry exploration in Lake and Flathead counties.