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1966 Map of Vermilion Peak

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Vermilion Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Vermilion River carves through a high-altitude landscape of the Cabinet Mountains in the mid-1960s, marking the boundary between the Kaniksu National Forest and Lolo National Forest. This survey captures a network of pack trails used for forest management and backcountry access before modern road developments reached deep into these drainages. Notable routes like the Pacific Northwest Trail and the Bear Creek Trail (Pack) follow the steep contours of the land, connecting landmarks like Moose Peak and Slide Rock Mountain.

The map reveals a high-country hydrology defined by small alpine basins, including Sylvan Lake, Marmot Lakes, and Image Lake. The intersection of drainage names like Happy Gulch, Freezeout Creek, and Chilly Creek speaks to the environment encountered by early forest rangers and surveyors. In the southern portion of the sheet, the terrain rises toward Vermilion Peak and Vermilion Pass, providing a detailed look at the crest of the range during this era of federal land mapping.