1955 Map of Utukok River C-3

About this map

The Utukok River meanders across this northern landscape, which was mapped by the Army Map Service during the mid-1950s. The entire region shown lies within the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, a designation reflecting the strategic resource interests of the era. A prominent Winter Trail cuts across the northern terrain, providing a vital seasonal transportation route before more permanent infrastructure existed in this part of the North Slope. The presence of the tributary Kaotuk and a solitary marked Site suggests the transient nature of habitation and travel in this remote arctic environment. Aerial photography taken in 1955 captured the complex network of lakes and drainage patterns that defined the area prior to later petroleum exploration developments.