2017 Map of Wards Butte

About this map

Wards Butte stands as a prominent topographical feature within a landscape defined by the convergence of the Challis National Forest and the Salmon National Forest. This high-elevation area along the boundary of Lemhi and Custer counties is etched by a complex drainage network, where the waters of Middle Fork Hat Cr and Big Hat Cr flow through deeply incised valleys. The map documents a territory primarily utilized for resource management and conservation, with human passage concentrated along Morgan Creek Road in the western reaches. Smaller watercourses like Sawmill Cr and Burnt Gulch suggest a history of local land use, likely tied to early timber or grazing activity. The absence of concentrated settlements emphasizes the wilderness character of this portion of the Idaho interior during the early twenty-first century.