1955 Map of Wainwright B-1

About this map

The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska dominates this 1950s landscape, illustrating a vast hydrological network of the North Slope before later industrial intensification. The terrain is defined by a dense concentration of thaw lakes and meandering waterways, including the north-flowing Kungok River and the Mayuriak River. The movement across this water-saturated tundra is marked by a significant Winter Trail, which cuts across the central portion of the sheet near Irak Creek, indicating the historical reliance on seasonal routes for cross-country travel in the Arctic. Smaller drainage systems like Kolipsun Creek and the Mikigealiak River feed into the larger river basins, while Takrak Lake stands out as a prominent landmark in the southeast. This survey, based on 1955 aerial photography, captures the region's character as an expansive wilderness designated for federal resource management.