Published in 1978 from survey work carried out in 1953, the United States Geological Survey’s “Snoqualmie Quadrangle” captures a defining mid-century portrait of the western Cascade foothills east of Seattle. At 1:24,000 scale, it presents Snoqualmie, North Bend, and the surrounding river valleys with the precision that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to engineers, hikers, foresters, and planners. The map belongs to a period when the region was poised between rural industry, mountain recreation, and expanding suburban influence. Its careful notation of roads, railways, waterways, and relief preserves a landscape before later waves of development altered the edges of the Snoqualmie Valley, making it both a practical topographic record and an evocative historical document.

The topographic drama of the quadrangle is carried by its contour lines, which gather tightly around Mount Si and the steep ridges rising above North Bend. These contours reveal the abrupt transition from valley floor to Cascade slope, a defining characteristic of the Snoqualmie landscape. The map’s relief makes visible the geological force of the region: river-cut valleys, forested uplands, and rugged approaches toward Snoqualmie Pass. Blue water features mark the Snoqualmie River, the Raging River, Denny Creek, and scattered lakes, creating a vivid contrast with the structured terrain. For collectors drawn to mountain cartography, the sheet offers a particularly satisfying composition, where elevation, drainage, and settlement combine in a compact and highly legible landscape.

Snoqualmie itself appears as a settlement shaped by water, timber, transportation, and proximity to the Cascades. The Snoqualmie River threads through the map as both a natural feature and a historical axis, helping define where communities, farms, roads, and rail lines developed. Nearby North Bend sits beneath the striking mass of Mount Si, long a landmark for travelers moving between Puget Sound and the mountain interior. The area’s renowned natural beauty—waterfalls, wooded trails, river corridors, and high viewpoints—is suggested not through pictorial embellishment but through the disciplined language of topography. In this sense, the map rewards close reading, allowing the viewer to reconstruct the experience of moving through valley, forest, and mountain grade.

Transportation is one of the map’s most historically revealing themes. US Highway 10, the great pre-Interstate route across Snoqualmie Pass, records the era’s principal east-west corridor before Interstate 90 transformed regional mobility. Railway lines and utility corridors further emphasize Snoqualmie’s role as a passage through the Cascade foothills, linking local industry and mountain travel with broader networks across Washington. Roads such as Tinkham Road, together with trails and pathways, suggest both working landscapes and recreational access. The corridor associated with what is now known as Iron Horse State Park evokes the later transformation of rail infrastructure into a celebrated recreational trail, adding another layer of historical continuity to the map’s transport geography.

As a USGS production, the “Snoqualmie Quadrangle” exemplifies the understated elegance of American scientific cartography: exacting, information-rich, and beautifully systematic. Its contours, hydrography, cultural features, and land-cover indications together form a remarkably nuanced image of place. The map documents a moment when forested areas, river valleys, small towns, and mountain routes were being mapped with modern precision, yet before the full impact of late twentieth-century urban expansion and conservation planning had reshaped the region. For those interested in Washington history, Cascade landscapes, or the evolution of outdoor recreation near Seattle, it offers more than geography. It is a measured portrait of Snoqualmie’s terrain, infrastructure, and natural setting at a pivotal point in its modern story.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Snoqualmie
• Snoqualmie Pass
• North Bend
• Mount Si
• Raging River
• Snoqualmie River
• Denny Creek
• Tinkham Road
• Iron Horse State Park
• Various unnamed lakes
• Forested areas
• Trails and pathways
• Roads, including US Highway 10
• Railway lines
• Utility corridors
• Military land designations, if applicable
• Scenic viewpoints or overlooks, if applicable

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the United States Geological Survey, or USGS
• Created in 1953 and published in 1978
• Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:24,000
• Focuses on Snoqualmie, Washington, and the surrounding area
• Produced from survey data collected in 1953, giving it mid-20th-century historical significance
• Depicts a region known for natural beauty and proximity to recreational areas, including waterfalls and hiking trails
• Features detailed contour lines showing elevation changes and terrain
• Uses blue shading to represent water bodies such as lakes and rivers
• Shows the mountainous character of the region, including terrain associated with the Cascade Range
• Reflects the geographic understanding, natural features, and human settlement patterns of the Snoqualmie area in the mid-20th century
• Documents a landscape that has since been affected by urban development and conservation efforts

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.