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1972 Map of West Lake

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of West Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Everglades National Park dominates this early 1970s orthophotomap, showing the intricate boundary where the Florida mainland dissolves into Florida Bay. This specific survey, which combines aerial imagery with topographic data, reveals a complex labyrinth of mangrove shorelines and interior brackish waters. The map highlights the transition from larger inland bodies like West Lake and Cuthbert Lake to the tidal influence of Garfield Bight and Snake Bight.

Navigational features for 1970s wilderness explorers are clearly marked, including the Canoe Trail and several designated campsites at Shark Pt and Porpoise Pt. The unusual geography of the mangrove estuaries is captured in detail, most notably the distinctive formation known as The Lungs and isolated hammocks like Noble Hammock. This orthophoto provides a precise look at the wilderness landscape before further modern shifts in coastal hydrology.