Old Map of Island Park, Idaho by USGS, 1964 – Henrys Lake & Targhee National Forest

Published in 1976 from work created in 1964, the US Geological Survey’s “Island Park” presents a finely measured portrait of one of eastern Idaho’s most evocative high-country landscapes. Drawn at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, it captures Island Park not merely as a settlement, but as a gateway to forests, lakes, rivers, and mountain terrain on the western approach to Yellowstone National Park. The original title is pleasingly direct, yet the name carries rich associations: Island Park is famed for wide meadows, volcanic plateaus, angling waters, and access to some of the American West’s most celebrated recreational country. As a mid-twentieth-century topographic record, the map preserves the region at a moment when highways, public lands, and outdoor tourism were shaping its modern identity.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined clarity for which its quadrangles are prized: contour lines articulate relief with scientific precision, while color distinctions clarify forests, water, roads, and surveyed boundaries. The result is both practical and elegant, a cartographic language in which terrain becomes legible at a glance. Elevations rise and fall across the sheet in measured intervals, revealing the mountainous and valleyed character of the Idaho landscape. Neat boundary lines define areas such as Targhee National Forest, underscoring the importance of federal land management in the region. Roads, trails, drainage lines, and place names are carefully integrated, creating a composed visual structure that balances wilderness, settlement, and infrastructure.

Henrys Lake is among the most compelling features associated with this region, an alpine lake long valued for fishing, scenery, and its position near the Continental Divide country. Around Island Park, the map’s waterways, including Mill Creek and the Middle Fork of the Snake River, suggest a landscape shaped by snowmelt, volcanic geology, and forested uplands. Streams thread through valleys and meadows, while contour patterns disclose slopes, ridges, and basins that would have guided travel, grazing, logging, and recreation. The area’s hydrology is central to its character, supporting wildlife habitat and drawing anglers and visitors into a terrain where water, forest, and open sky define the experience of place.

The presence of U.S. Route 20 gives the map a strong historical and geographic axis, linking Island Park to a broader network of western travel and to the Yellowstone region beyond. In the mid-twentieth century, such routes increasingly brought motorists, sportsmen, and vacationers into landscapes once reached only with greater difficulty. Dashed lines marking trails and lesser routes hint at more intimate forms of movement through the country, whether for forestry, hunting, fishing, or backcountry exploration. The map thus records a place poised between remoteness and accessibility: a region of public forests and rugged elevations, yet also one being steadily interpreted and opened through roads, survey, and recreation.

As a historical document, “Island Park” offers a valuable snapshot of land use, settlement, and natural geography before later decades of development and changing recreation patterns altered parts of the region. Its depiction of national forest boundaries, scenic routes, waterways, and sparse urban features speaks to a landscape still dominated by topography and public land rather than dense habitation. For collectors, its appeal lies in this fusion of precision and atmosphere: the USGS quadrangle transforms the Idaho high country into a beautifully ordered field of names, contours, and symbols. It is a map of access to Yellowstone’s orbit, but also of Island Park’s own distinct identity—forested, elevated, river-cut, and unmistakably western.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Island Park
• Henrys Lake
• Targhee National Forest
• Mill Creek
• Middle Fork of the Snake River
• Yellowstone National Park vicinity
• U.S. Route 20
• Peaks and valleys indicated by contour lines
• Forested areas and designated public lands
• Scenic routes and trails indicated by dashed lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map
• Created in 1964 and published in 1976
• Published by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed and accurate topographic mapping of natural and man-made features in the United States
• Uses a classic topographic style, with contour lines showing elevation and color-coding differentiating land cover
• Shows structured boundary lines, including national forest boundaries
• Depicts mountainous terrain and valleys characteristic of the Idaho landscape
• Provides a mid-20th-century snapshot of the region, before later changes in land use, park accessibility, and population patterns

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.