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1999 Map of West Fork Butte

Name: 1999 Topographic Map of West Fork Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2003
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2003

About this map

The Montana Idaho state line divides this high-elevation wilderness between the Lolo National Forest and Clearwater National Forest. The landscape is dominated by heavy timber and steep drainages, where fire surveillance and communication infrastructure occupy the highest peaks. West Fork Butte Lookout and Skookum Butte Lookout serve as primary vantage points over the sprawling complex of ridges and basins.

Water systems define the local geography, with East Fork Lolo Creek and Brushy Fork carving deep valleys through the Bitterroot Range. Small alpine features like Granite Lake and Lily Lake are tucked into the lower elevations, while Lost Park Meadows offers rare open ground amidst the dense forest. This 1999 revision reveals a remote landscape managed for both natural resources and communications, noted by the Gravel Pit and Communication Site Point 118 along the divide.