1953 Map of Valdez C-5

About this map

Klutina Lake dominates the northern reaches of this mid-century Alaskan wilderness, where the Mahllo River and Grayling Creek carve through the high elevations between Mt Simpson and Bence Mtn. This map captures a landscape defined by its glacial hydrology and lack of permanent infrastructure, documented just as aerial photography began to provide precise topographic detail for the Third Judicial Division. A solitary Cabin and a single Trail along the northern shore of the lake are the only markers of human presence in a territory otherwise shaped by the Tonsina Creek drainage and the remote waters of Twin Lake and Tonsina Lake. For the local historian or outdoorsman, these contours reveal the exact drainage patterns and high-altitude landmarks of the Copper River basin before modern development reached the interior.