1955 Map of Wainwright A-3

About this map

The Ivisaruk River carves a winding path through this portion of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, a landscape defined by an intricate network of thaw lakes and coastal plain drainage. The presence of the Nokotlek River and the expansive Natvakrak Lakes illustrate the saturated, permafrost-driven geography of the North Slope during the mid-1950s. While seemingly remote, the region was actively utilized and monitored, as evidenced by the long Tractor Trail cutting across the southern terrain. This infrastructure speaks to the era of early oil exploration and military oversight within the reserve, where overland transport relied on specialized vehicles capable of navigating the delicate tundra and frozen waterways during the brief summer thaw and long arctic winters.