Published in 2005 using survey data from 2000, the USGS topographical map titled “West Yellowstone” captures one of the American West’s most evocative gateway landscapes at the turn of the twenty-first century. At a 1:24,000 scale, it presents West Yellowstone, Montana, not as a mere resort town or park entrance, but as a settlement embedded in a dramatic high-country terrain shaped by rivers, volcanic plateaus, forests, roads, and mountain relief. The map’s careful delineation of streets, trails, forest routes, and natural features offers a richly detailed portrait of the area just beyond Yellowstone National Park’s western boundary, where human access and wilderness geography meet in unusually close proximity.

The U.S. Geological Survey brings to this map the authority and precision that made its quadrangles indispensable to scientists, land managers, engineers, hikers, and historians. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became the nation’s great cartographic record keeper, translating field surveys, aerial observation, hydrology, and elevation data into standardized maps of remarkable practical and archival value. Here, its disciplined visual language is immediately apparent: contour lines articulate slope and elevation, drainage patterns trace the movement of water across the landscape, and color gradations distinguish developed areas, forests, open land, and hydrographic features. The result is a map that is both technically rigorous and visually expressive.

West Yellowstone occupies a fascinating position on this sheet, standing at the edge of Yellowstone National Park and near the forested lands of the greater Gallatin and Park County region. U.S. Highway 20 and associated local roads reveal the town’s role as a major approach to the park, while forest service roads and trails show how quickly the built environment gives way to backcountry access. The map preserves a moment in the town’s modern development, documenting the layout of streets, landmarks, and surrounding recreational infrastructure as they existed around 2000. For collectors, this makes the sheet especially appealing as a record of a celebrated destination before later patterns of tourism, construction, and land management left their marks.

The surrounding terrain is the true protagonist of the map. Complex contouring conveys the steepness and rhythm of the nearby mountains and valleys, allowing the viewer to read the land almost three-dimensionally. The Madison River system, nearby lakes including Hebgen Lake, and the branching drainage network emphasize the hydrological richness of this volcanic and glacially influenced landscape. These waters have long shaped travel, wildlife habitat, settlement, and recreation, while also carrying the memory of floods, snowmelt, and seismic change in the Yellowstone region. For hikers, anglers, campers, and naturalists, the map’s topographic detail offers an unusually intimate understanding of how ridges, basins, waterways, and access routes interlock.

As a historical document, the “West Yellowstone” quadrangle is valuable because it fixes a precise geographic moment in a landscape subject to constant change. Since the 2000 survey, the region has continued to experience pressures from tourism, residential growth, wildfire, forest management, changing river conditions, and the broader environmental transformations affecting the Northern Rockies. The map’s depiction of roads, trails, landforms, and waterways therefore serves not only as a navigational record but also as a benchmark for comparison. It invites close study of what has endured and what may have shifted, while preserving the enduring drama of West Yellowstone: a frontier town set against one of North America’s most storied natural landscapes.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• West Yellowstone
• Yellowstone National Park
• Madison River
• Hebgen Lake
• Park County
• Gallatin National Forest
• Roads and trails in the area
• U.S. Highway 20
• Forest service roads
• Landmarks and points of interest within West Yellowstone

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of West Yellowstone, Montana, and the surrounding area
• Dated 2000, with a 2005 imprint
• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey, known for authoritative mapping and extensive geological surveys across the United States
• Features contour lines showing elevation changes
• Includes well-defined drainage patterns
• Uses distinct color gradients for land elevation to make the topography easier to understand
• Shows complex mountainous topography, including steep elevations and valleys
• Prominently displays river systems and natural features such as lakes
• Based on survey data from 2000, offering insight into later geographical changes such as land development, wildfires, or flooding
• Detailed contouring helps show the steepness of the surrounding mountains, useful for outdoor activities such as hiking and camping

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.