Published in 1995 from 1993 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “Sea Island” presents a precise 1:24,000 portrait of one of Georgia’s most distinctive coastal landscapes. Centered on Sea Island and neighboring St. Simons Island, the map captures the delicate meeting of Atlantic shoreline, tidal waterways, marsh margins, roads, beaches, and settled coastal communities. Its title is elegantly understated, yet the terrain it records is anything but simple: barrier-island geography, shifting inlets, low elevations, and coastal hydrology all appear in the disciplined visual language of a modern USGS topographic sheet. As a document of the early 1990s coast, it preserves a moment in the ongoing transformation of this celebrated stretch of the Golden Isles.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, translating terrain into measured contours, symbols, and standardized color. This map reflects that tradition with clarity and restraint: blue waterways and ocean areas define the maritime setting, while fine contouring and spot elevations describe the subtle relief of low-lying barrier islands. In such a coastal environment, even modest changes in elevation matter, and the USGS style gives quiet prominence to dunes, marsh edges, channels, and developed corridors. The result is both scientifically rigorous and visually composed, a map whose beauty lies in its precision and its ability to make fragile geography legible.

Sea Island and St. Simons Island occupy a storied position along the Georgia coast, part of the chain of barrier islands that shield inland marshes from the Atlantic. The map’s network of waterways, tidal creeks, beaches, inlets, and ocean frontage evokes a landscape shaped by sediment, tide, wind, and human settlement. St. Simons, long associated with colonial history, maritime trade, and later resort development, appears here within its broader environmental setting rather than as an isolated destination. Sea Island, known for its exclusivity and coastal elegance, is shown in relation to the natural systems that sustain it, including beaches, wetland fringes, and the surrounding Atlantic waters.

One of the most compelling features of this sheet is its attention to both landform and underwater form. The inclusion of bathymetric detail, alongside terrestrial elevation contours, underscores the inseparability of island and sea in this region. Channels, shoals, and nearshore depths help explain navigation, erosion, habitat formation, and the restless architecture of the coast. Roads and developed areas are present, but they are set within a larger matrix of water and low terrain, reminding the viewer that the built environment here exists at the edge of a dynamic natural system. The map is especially evocative for anyone interested in coastal geomorphology, conservation, or the cartographic poetry of marginal lands.

As a historical document, the “Sea Island” map records the Georgia coast at a time when environmental awareness and coastal development pressures were increasingly intertwined. By the early 1990s, barrier islands such as Sea Island and St. Simons had become symbols of both natural beauty and desirable coastal living, making accurate mapping essential for planning, resource management, and hazard assessment. The USGS treatment reveals beaches, waterways, and low elevations with a sobriety that hints at vulnerability to storms, erosion, and sea-level change. Today, the map offers more than geographic information: it is a refined snapshot of a living coastline, poised between preservation, recreation, habitation, and the enduring force of the Atlantic.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Sea Island
• St. Simons Island
• Atlantic Ocean
• Surrounding coastal regions of Georgia
• Various waterways and rivers in the area
• Coastal features such as beaches and inlets
• Local roadways indicated on the map
• Potential landmarks, habitat areas, and significant environmental features shown through contour lines and shading

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Created in 1993, with a 1995 publication date.
• Shows Sea Island, St. Simons Island, and the surrounding coastal area of Georgia.
• Uses a clear USGS color scheme, including shades of blue for water features.
• Includes detailed topographical lines to show terrain elevations.
• Features elevation contours and bathymetric details, indicating both landforms and underwater topography.
• Documents coastal geography in an area shaped by environmental and urban development changes over time.
• Highlights the importance of preserving natural coastal ecosystems.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

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.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.