1955 Map of Wildcat Draw

About this map

Gallatin National Forest and Custer National Forest define the high-country landscape of this 1955 survey, located along the border of Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties. The map details a complex drainage network where Bridger Creek and its tributaries, such as Blind Bridger Creek and Carey Creek, carve through the terrain beneath Derby Ridge. In this era of active land management and livestock grazing, the sheet identifies isolated outposts such as Yates Cabin and the Hookum Cow Cabin, connected by primitive roads and a notable Jeep Trail. Water sources were critical for high-altitude utility, marked here by named sites like Wildcat Spring No 1 and the evocative September Morn Spring. The confluence of Bad Canyon Creek and various draws like Lundy Draw in the south illustrates the difficult topography that shaped the early development of this portion of the Montana wilderness.