Old Map of Alta, Utah by USGS, 1955 – Snowbird, Little Cottonwood Canyon & Wasatch Range

Published in 1957 from 1955 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “Dromedary Peak” captures a dramatic sector of Utah’s Wasatch Range at the intimate 1:24,000 scale. Centered on the rugged heights above Little Cottonwood Canyon, the map records Alta, Snowbird, Dromedary Peak, and the surrounding alpine basins at a moment when the mountains were beginning to shift from mining-era remoteness toward modern recreation. Its title peak rises among tightly packed contours, steep drainages, and high ridgelines, giving the sheet a powerful sense of verticality. For collectors, it is a portrait of a mountain landscape on the cusp of transformation, where roads, trails, lakes, and forest boundaries reveal both wilderness character and the first outlines of a burgeoning ski country.

The USGS was uniquely suited to render this terrain with authority. Founded in the late nineteenth century to classify public lands and examine the nation’s geology, the agency became America’s preeminent maker of scientific topographic maps. By the mid-twentieth century, its quadrangles were indispensable tools for engineers, foresters, miners, planners, mountaineers, and government agencies. In “Dromedary Peak,” that institutional precision is evident in every contour interval, stream course, road classification, and place name. The map is not decorative in the conventional sense, yet its disciplined design has a quiet elegance: a muted palette, carefully lettered names, and finely drawn relief combine to make the Wasatch appear both measurable and majestic.

Alta and Snowbird give the map particular historical resonance. Alta, once a silver-mining settlement, had already begun its reinvention as a ski destination by the time this map was compiled, while Snowbird’s later rise as a major resort would make Little Cottonwood Canyon internationally famous. Here, before the full scale of recreational development, the canyon is shown as a steep, narrow corridor framed by Grizzly Gulch, Cardiff Fork, and imposing mountain walls. Roads and trails thread through the terrain, hinting at access but never diminishing the severity of the landscape. The sheet preserves the geography that made the area legendary: deep snow, abrupt relief, high basins, and an alpine setting close to Salt Lake Valley yet seemingly remote.

Beyond Little Cottonwood Canyon, the map opens into a rich network of Wasatch landmarks. Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton, Mill D South Fork, Twin Lakes, Silver Lake, Lake Mary, Lake Martha, Red Pine Lake, and the Cottonwood Lakes appear amid ridges and cirques shaped by water, ice, and elevation. Big Cottonwood Ridge and Murdock Peak help define the region’s complicated mountain architecture, while streams descend through narrow forks toward lower valleys. The inclusion of Utah National Forest underscores the federal management of these high watersheds, prized for timber, water, wildlife, and recreation. Seen together, the named lakes and drainages form an alpine mosaic, the kind of terrain that rewards both scientific study and imaginative exploration.

Cartographically, the sheet’s appeal lies in the way its classic topographic language makes the Wasatch legible. Dense contour lines bunch together on precipitous slopes, relax around basins and lakes, and bend around gullies with remarkable clarity. The result is a map that suggests three-dimensional form without pictorial embellishment, allowing the eye to climb Dromedary Peak, follow canyon floors, and trace ridgelines across the page. Road classifications and varied trails record the human routes through this demanding landscape, while streams and small rivers reveal the mountain’s hydrological structure. As a mid-century document, “Dromedary Peak” stands at the intersection of science, outdoor recreation, and western land history, preserving a refined image of Utah’s high country before its modern fame fully arrived.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Alta
• Snowbird
• Little Cottonwood Canyon
• Wasatch Range
• Dromedary Peak
• Utah National Forest
• Cottonwood Lakes
• Brighton
• Big Cottonwood Canyon
• Twin Lakes
• Silver Lake
• Mill D South Fork
• Grizzly Gulch
• Cardiff Fork
• Lake Mary
• Lake Martha
• Deer Valley Resort
• Red Pine Lake
• Big Cottonwood Ridge
• Murdock Peak
• Point of the Mountain
• Road classifications
• Trails
• Streams and small rivers

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Alta, Snowbird, and the surrounding Utah mountain region.
• Dated 1955 with a 1957 imprint.
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), known for detailed topographic mapping and geological surveys of the United States.
• The USGS has provided important scientific data related to natural resources, hazards, ecosystems, and public land use.
• Features Alta and Snowbird, two well-known resort areas with histories tied to skiing and regional recreation.
• Uses a classic topographical design with contour lines to show elevation changes.
• Muted color palette highlights the natural terrain.
• Shows rugged mountainous terrain characteristic of the Wasatch Range, including peaks, valleys, lakes, streams, and small rivers.
• Reflects a mid-20th-century period of increasing recreational development in the region.

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With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.