1955 Map of Utukok River A-4

About this map

The Utukok River meanders through the eastern portion of this 1955 survey, cutting through a landscape dominated by the expansive Archimedes Ridge and the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. This portion of the North Slope reflects the era's focus on surveying remote territories for resource potential, as indicated by the federal designation. The terrain is marked by significant topographical relief, with the ridge line serving as a major natural landmark north of the Brooks Range foothills. Researchers studying the Arctic landscape will find a detailed representation of the drainage patterns and upland areas that defined this wilderness before more intensive modern exploration. The map captures a moment when large tracts of the Alaskan interior remained mostly unsurveyed on the ground, relying instead on 1950s aerial photogrammetry.