Titled “Bijou,” this United States Geological Survey quadrangle captures the South Lake Tahoe region from survey data collected in 1955 and published with a 1963 imprint. It presents the lakeshore at a moment when Tahoe was emerging from a high-country resort landscape into one of the American West’s defining recreation destinations. South Lake Tahoe, Al Tahoe, Bijou Park, Stateline, and the roads threading between them appear within a crisp topographic framework, while Lake Tahoe itself anchors the composition with its immense alpine presence. The result is a fascinating mid-century portrait of a place poised between forested quiet, growing tourism, and the increasingly sophisticated infrastructure that would shape its modern identity.

The USGS style gives the map its distinctive authority: precise contour lines, carefully lettered settlements, drainage features, roads, forest boundaries, and recreational sites combine to create a richly legible terrain. At 1:24,000 scale, the map is intimate enough to show creeks, local roads, and named parks, yet broad enough to convey the dramatic setting of Tahoe’s southern shore. Contours wrap tightly around the rising slopes, illustrating the steep transition from lakeside communities to the Sierra Nevada mountains. Bijou Creek, the Truckee River system, and the surrounding uplands are treated not as decorative details, but as measurable, interconnected features within a scientifically observed landscape.

South Lake Tahoe dominates the cultural geography of the map, with nearby Stateline marking the California-Nevada boundary and hinting at the contrasting patterns of resort development that would define the area. US Route 50 and the historic Lincoln Highway are especially evocative, recalling the growth of automobile tourism and the opening of mountain landscapes to postwar travelers. The map also gestures toward the region’s recreational identity through places such as Heavenly Valley, parks along the shore, and access routes leading into the surrounding forest. These features document a Tahoe already famous for boating, skiing, mountain air, and scenic grandeur, but not yet fully transformed by later decades of expansion.

The natural setting is equally compelling. Eldorado National Forest, Mount Tallac, Cave Rock, Spooner Lake, Tahoe Pines, and the larger Sierra Nevada context speak to a landscape of granite heights, forested basins, and extraordinary freshwater clarity. The topography surrounding Lake Tahoe is not merely background; it is the organizing force of the map. Mountain slopes dictate roads, watersheds, settlement edges, and recreational corridors. The contouring around ridges and valleys reveals the physical drama that made the region both challenging to develop and irresistible to visitors. In this sense, the map records the enduring tension between access and preservation that has long shaped Tahoe’s history.

As a historical document, “Bijou” is particularly evocative because it predates much of the intensive development associated with modern South Lake Tahoe. Since the 1955 survey, the area has seen expanding tourism infrastructure, changing land use, environmental regulation, ski industry growth, and increasing concern for Lake Tahoe’s fragile clarity and watershed. The map therefore offers more than a navigational image: it is a snapshot of an alpine community at a pivotal stage. Produced by the USGS, an agency central to the scientific mapping of the United States, it combines governmental precision with the romance of place—an elegant record of Tahoe’s mid-century landscape, poised on the edge of transformation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• South Lake Tahoe
• Lake Tahoe
• Bijou Park
• Stateline
• Heavenly Valley
• Eldorado National Forest
• Tallac Historic Site
• Mount Tallac
• Truckee River
• Bijou Creek
• Tahoe Pines
• Al Tahoe
• Kings Beach
• Spooner Lake
• Cave Rock
• Lincoln Highway
• US Route 50
• Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Various parks and recreational areas surrounding Lake Tahoe

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of South Lake Tahoe, California, and the surrounding area.
• Survey data was collected in 1955, and the map was published with a 1963 imprint.
• Features a classic topographical design with contour lines showing elevation changes.
• Clearly labels place names, physical features, roads, and surrounding landscape details.
• Shows the mountainous terrain around Lake Tahoe through detailed elevation contours.
• South Lake Tahoe is shown as a significant resort area known for lake recreation, skiing, water sports, and natural scenery.
• Since the map was created, the South Lake Tahoe area has experienced considerable development, including changes in land use, tourism infrastructure, and environmental management.

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.