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2011 Map of Tower Mountain

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Tower Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Tower Mountain Lookout Tower stands as the central landmark of this high-elevation landscape in the Blue Mountains, overlooking a complex network of drainage basins and meadows. The area is defined by its seasonal grazing and recreational spaces, including Wapiti Camp and several large clearings such as Frazier Meadow, Hidaway Meadows, and Big Creek Meadow. These meadows serve as focal points between the heavily timbered slopes that feed various tributaries of the North Fork John Day River system.

The hydrological pattern is intricate, with Lookout Spring providing a critical water source near the summit of Tower Mountain. Water flows outward in every direction through steep-cut drainages like Hidaway Creek, Umapine Creek, and Squaw Creek. The presence of these named water bodies and meadows suggests a landscape long utilized for forestry, seasonal hunting, and fire observation, as evidenced by the strategic positioning of the lookout tower above the headwaters of Big Creek and White Creek.