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1986 Map of West Thumb

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of West Thumb
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Yellowstone National Park reveals its geothermal complexity along the western shores of Yellowstone Lake West Thumb. This 1980s-era documentation highlights the developed visitor infrastructure at Grant Village, including its Amphitheater, Visitor Center, and nearby Radio Tower. The landscape is dominated by the hydrothermal activity of the West Thumb Geyser Basin, where specific thermal features like Black Pool, Thumb Paintpots, and Beach Geyser are precisely located along the water's edge.

The western portion of the map traces the Continental Divide as it winds through high-elevation terrain, passing near isolated water bodies like Chickadee Lake and Nuthatch Lake. The drainage system is defined by the headwaters of Big Thumb Creek and Little Thumb Creek, while the lake's shoreline is marked by prominent points such as Bluff Point and Pumice Point. This topographic record captures the specialized facilities and natural wonders of the park's south-central region during the mid-1980s.