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1989 Map of Trail Lake

Name: 1989 Topographic Map of Trail Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1989
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1989

About this map

Yellowstone Lake dominates the western edge of this landscape, its Southeast Arm reaching into a wilderness defined by high plateaus and remote patrol outposts. In the late 1980s, this backcountry region shows a network of historical transit routes, most notably the Thorofare Trail which skirts the shoreline near Terrace Point. Evidence of early exploration and park management is preserved through landmarks like Langford Cairn and the remote Trail Creek Patrol Cabin.

The terrain rises sharply from the lake to the Two Ocean Plateau and the geologically distinct Brimstone Basin. Water systems including Beaverdam Creek and Rocky Creek drain the high country toward the Yellowstone River, which meanders through the marshes at the southern end of the arm. This topographic study captures the essential infrastructure of the park's interior before modern digital mapping, highlighting isolated structures like the Cabin Creek Patrol Cabin and the small, secluded Trail Lake.