Published in 1980 using survey data from 1969, the US Geological Survey’s “Stehekin” captures one of Washington’s most secluded mountain landscapes with the precision and restraint characteristic of American topographic mapping. Centered on the remote community of Stehekin at the head of Lake Chelan, the map records a place defined as much by access as by geography: reached chiefly by boat, trail, or small aircraft, Stehekin has long stood apart from the road-connected world. The surrounding terrain rises abruptly from the lake corridor into the rugged folds of the North Cascades, and the map’s dense contouring makes clear the dramatic verticality that shapes settlement, movement, and wilderness experience in this extraordinary corner of Chelan County.

The United States Geological Survey, established in 1879, brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring, classifying, and depicting the American landscape. Its quadrangle maps became essential tools for engineers, foresters, planners, scientists, and travelers, offering an authoritative graphic language for elevation, hydrology, transportation, and land use. In “Stehekin,” that language is especially evocative: contour lines trace the steep ridges and incised valleys with scientific exactitude, while symbols for trails, roads, waterways, and boundaries reveal the human framework laid lightly across difficult terrain. The result is not merely a navigational document, but a record of how federal cartography translated wilderness into legible form during the late twentieth century.

Lake Chelan dominates the composition, its long glacial basin forming the principal geographic axis of the region. At its upper end, Stehekin occupies a rare pocket of habitation amid mountains, creeks, and forested slopes. Nearby waterways including Bridge Creek, Agnes Creek, Eight Mile Creek, and Rivulet Creek articulate the drainage patterns that feed this alpine environment, each valley etched into the map by contour and blue line. The Chelan Lake District and surrounding national forest lands point to the area’s layered administrative history, where recreation, conservation, resource management, and private settlement intersect. Here, geography is not passive scenery; it governs routes, boundaries, habitation, and the very pace at which the landscape can be known.

The map’s topographic character is particularly compelling in its portrayal of the North Cascades’ steep relief. Sugarloaf Mountain, Park Mountain, Buckskin Mountain, and the high country toward Rainy Pass appear within a terrain of ridges, draws, and elevation changes that would challenge any traveler. The contours gather tightly on sharp slopes and loosen across gentler benches, creating a visual rhythm that conveys both the beauty and severity of the region. Roads and trails thread through this complexity, suggesting the practical routes by which hikers, residents, rangers, and pack trains navigated the backcountry. In this sense, the map is a portrait of movement through constraint, where every path responds to water, rock, forest, and gradient.

Historically, “Stehekin” preserves a late-1960s snapshot of a landscape on the threshold of evolving conservation priorities. The creation of North Cascades National Park in 1968 transformed the wider region’s identity, placing surrounding wilderness, watersheds, and mountain corridors within a broader national preservation framework. This map, based on 1969 surveys and published in 1980, reflects that transitional era: old travel routes, remote settlement patterns, national forest boundaries, and emerging park context coexist within a single carefully measured sheet. For collectors, its appeal lies in this meeting of precision and remoteness. It documents not only where Stehekin is, but why it remains so captivating: a small human presence held within an immense, finely rendered mountain world.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Stehekin
• Lake Chelan
• North Cascades National Park
• Rivulet Creek
• Bridge Creek
• Agnes Creek
• Eight Mile Creek
• Sugarloaf Mountain
• Park Mountain
• Buckskin Mountain
• Rainy Pass
• Chelan Lake District
• Chelan County
• National Forest boundary
• Roads and trails

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Stehekin, Washington, and the surrounding area
• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created using survey data from 1969 and published in 1980
• The USGS has played a major role in American national mapping and geological research since its establishment in 1879
• Uses standard USGS topographic styling, including contour lines, roads, trails, waterways, and other mapped features
• Shows steep North Cascades terrain, with ridges, valleys, water bodies, and significant elevation changes
• Reflects late-20th-century geographic conditions, infrastructure, settlement patterns, land use, and conservation context

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.