Published in 1955 from 1950 mapping, the US Geological Survey’s “Lake Sutherland” captures a dramatic portion of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula at a moment when postwar America was expanding its appetite for wilderness travel, scientific land management, and public recreation. Centered on Lake Sutherland, the map presents a richly contoured landscape of steep slopes, forested valleys, creeks, roads, and shorelines, rendered in the disciplined visual language that made USGS quadrangles indispensable. Its 1:24,000 scale gives the terrain an intimate precision, allowing the viewer to read the relationship between water, ridge, settlement, and forest with unusual clarity. As both a technical document and a historical portrait, it records a mid-century landscape poised between remote mountain country and an increasingly accessible recreational frontier.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional authority of one of America’s most important scientific agencies. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS transformed the mapping of the United States through systematic surveys that served engineers, foresters, geologists, land managers, and explorers alike. In “Lake Sutherland,” that legacy appears in the crisp contouring, careful hydrography, and precise labeling of roads, streams, and public lands. The cartographic style is restrained but highly expressive: contour lines describe the muscular rise of Olympic terrain, while color distinctions clarify vegetation, elevation, and cultural features. This is not merely a guide to place, but a statement of confidence in measurement, observation, and the practical beauty of scientific cartography.

Lake Sutherland itself lies near the northern edge of the Olympic Mountains, close to the celebrated Lake Crescent and within reach of the immense forests and watersheds that define the peninsula. The map evokes a landscape shaped by glacial action, heavy rainfall, and dense temperate forest, where water collects in deep basins and descends through steep creek systems such as Falls Creek and Bear Creek. Nearby rivers including the Elwha, Sol Duc, Quillayute, Dosewallips, and Bogachiel form part of a wider hydrological world, carrying mountain runoff toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and the Pacific. In this setting, lakes are not isolated scenic features, but vital expressions of the peninsula’s geology, climate, and ecological abundance.

The surrounding region is inseparable from the great protected landscapes of Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park, whose mountains, rain forests, and river valleys made the peninsula one of the most distinctive wild regions in the United States. References to places such as Mount Olympus, the Hoh Rain Forest, Skyline Divide, and Bogachiel State Park situate the Lake Sutherland area within a broader geography of alpine peaks, old-growth timber, moss-laden valleys, and salmon-bearing rivers. Mid-century mapping of these lands coincided with evolving ideas about conservation, timber use, recreation, and wilderness preservation. The map therefore offers more than topographic information: it preserves a visual record of how federal surveyors understood a landscape of extraordinary ecological significance.

For collectors, “Lake Sutherland” has a quiet sophistication rooted in its clarity and purpose. The varying greens, contour intervals, and sharply named features create a layered portrait of terrain that rewards slow looking, revealing gradients of elevation, forest cover, and movement through the land. Roads and camps, including places such as Camp Waskowitz, hint at the human presence within a setting still dominated by water, timber, and mountain relief. Viewed today, the map becomes a mid-twentieth-century witness to changing access, land use, and environmental awareness on the Olympic Peninsula. It is a refined example of USGS topographic art: exacting, understated, historically resonant, and deeply connected to one of Washington’s most compelling natural regions.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Lake Sutherland
• Olympic National Forest
• Mount Olympus
• Lonesome Lake
• Lake Crescent
• Quillayute River
• Hoh Rain Forest
• Elwha River
• Dosewallips River
• Camp Waskowitz
• Bogachiel State Park
• Sol Duc River
• Falls Creek
• Bear Creek
• Skyline Divide

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Lake Sutherland in Washington and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1950 and published with a 1955 imprint.
• The US Geological Survey is known for comprehensive geological mapping and research supporting environmental science, land management, and related fields.
• The map uses a traditional topographical style, with contour lines and color to represent elevation and terrain types.
• Clear labeling of geographic features and roads reflects the standard design approach of USGS maps.
• The map details mountainous terrain and elevation changes associated with the Olympic Peninsula and surrounding areas.
• It reflects the landscape as it appeared in the mid-20th century.
• The map provides historical context for changes in land use, environmental conservation, and recreational access in the region.
• Variations in land cover and topography are shown with shades of green indicating elevation and vegetation differences.

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.