Published in 2003 from 1999 survey data, the United States Geological Survey’s “Mount Olympus Quadrangle” presents one of America’s most dramatic mountain landscapes with scientific precision and quiet visual grandeur. Produced as a provisional USGS map, it captures the heart of Olympic National Park at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale, where contour lines, shaded terrain cues, and carefully differentiated landforms reveal the steep architecture of the Olympic Mountains. Mount Olympus itself dominates the composition, surrounded by ridges, valleys, waterways, and forested slopes that speak to the region’s extraordinary ecological variety. The map is both a navigational document and a portrait of wilderness, charting a landscape internationally recognized for its conservation value and natural splendor.

The USGS tradition is central to the character of this map. Since the late nineteenth century, the United States Geological Survey has shaped how Americans understand their terrain, translating remote mountains, rivers, and valleys into rigorous cartographic language. Here, that institutional clarity is especially compelling: every contour is a measured statement of elevation, every stream course and valley floor a clue to the forces that carved the Olympic Peninsula. The provisional status of the map gives it an added documentary quality, reflecting an active moment in the ongoing refinement of national topographic knowledge. It belongs to a lineage of maps made not merely for orientation, but for geology, hydrology, land management, wilderness protection, and scientific interpretation.

Olympic National Park, shown here in richly detailed topographic form, is one of the most ecologically diverse protected landscapes in the United States. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it encompasses alpine peaks, temperate rainforest, glacial valleys, lakes, and river systems within a relatively compact peninsula. The map’s terrain depiction helps explain that diversity: steep gradients descend from the Mount Olympus massif toward valleys associated with the Hoh, Quinault, Elwha, Bogachiel, and Sol Duc river systems. Nearby places such as the Hoh Rain Forest, Enchanted Valley, Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, and Marymere Falls evoke the park’s celebrated range of environments. Through contour and color, the map makes visible the dramatic transitions between ice, rock, forest, and water.

The visual language of the map is defined by intricacy and restraint. Its topographical style uses dense contouring to articulate the rugged relief of the Olympic Mountains, allowing the eye to follow ridgelines, cirques, drainages, and valley walls with remarkable intimacy. Color gradients distinguish terrain types and elevation zones, while named features anchor the wilderness in a recognizable geography. Around the broader Olympic region, places such as Forks, Sappho, Port Angeles, Klahowya Campground, Ozette Lake, Rialto Beach, and Crescent Lake suggest the meeting of remote mountain country with coastal settlement, recreation, and access routes. The result is a map that rewards close reading, revealing the landscape layer by layer rather than all at once.

As a historical document, the “Mount Olympus Quadrangle” preserves a finely observed view of the Olympic landscape at the turn of the twenty-first century, before the accelerating pressures of climate change, shifting tourism, and expanding human infrastructure became even more apparent in public land management. Its record of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, and forested terrain offers a baseline for understanding environmental change over time. In a region shaped by glaciers, heavy rainfall, dense old-growth forest, and powerful river systems, such mapping is indispensable. Yet beyond its scientific utility, the map possesses a quiet romance: it renders one of the Pacific Northwest’s great wilderness interiors with the discipline of measurement and the allure of discovery.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Olympic National Park
• Mount Olympus
• Hoh Rain Forest
• Quinault Valley
• Elwha River
• Lake Crescent
• Hurricane Ridge
• Sol Duc Valley
• Bogachiel River
• Klahowya Campground
• Enchanted Valley
• Ozette Lake
• Marymere Falls
• Rialto Beach
• Sappho
• Forks
• Port Angeles

Historical context & cartographic details

• Provisional map produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
• Based on underlying survey data from 1999 and published in 2003.
• Provides a detailed topographical view of the Mount Olympus Quadrangle and surrounding Olympic landscape.
• Olympic National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for habitats ranging from lush rainforests to alpine mountains.
• Uses a topographical style with contour lines and color gradients to show elevation changes and terrain types.
• Drawn at a 1:24,000 scale, allowing detailed representation of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
• Reflects the rugged terrain of the Olympic Mountains through intricate elevation detail.
• Serves as a useful record for understanding environmental change over time.

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.