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1987 Map of West Boulder Plateau

Name: 1987 Topographic Map of West Boulder Plateau
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

The Gallatin National Forest high country dominates this 1980s landscape, where the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness encompasses a series of high-altitude basins and jagged peaks. The terrain is defined by the West Boulder Plateau, a massive uplifted landform that feeds numerous drainages including the West Fork Boulder River and Froze-to-Death Creek. Permanent snowfields persist in the shadows of summits like Boulder Mountain and the prominent Speculator peak.

Water is a defining element of this alpine environment, visible in the cluster of high-elevation basins containing West Boulder Lake and Kaufman Lake. A network of pack trails provides the only formal access through these steep valleys, connecting remote features such as Great Falls Creek and the various falls that mark the descent from the plateau. This provisional survey captures the wilderness in its protected state, highlighting the intersection of high-mountain hydrology and the conservation boundaries established in the late 20th century.