Published in 1966 using survey data from 1963, the USGS topographic map titled “Jackson” captures one of the American West’s most celebrated mountain gateways at a pivotal moment in its modern history. Centered on Jackson, Wyoming, the map records the town before the full force of late twentieth-century resort development transformed its streets, approaches, and surrounding valleys. At a scale of 1:24,000, it offers a finely resolved portrait of terrain, drainage, roads, trails, and settlement, situating Jackson within the dramatic basin framed by the Tetons, the Gros Ventre country, and the Snake River corridor. Its disciplined topographic language—contours, hydrography, woodland tint, and transport lines—turns a familiar destination into a richly layered historical document.

The map was produced by the United States Geological Survey, the federal scientific agency whose quadrangle maps became the gold standard for American geographic knowledge. By the 1960s, the USGS had refined a cartographic style that combined precision, clarity, and understated elegance: brown contour lines articulate elevation, blue traces creeks and rivers, green marks wooded or vegetated areas, and black and red details define roads, buildings, and cultural features. This systematic visual code makes the Jackson landscape immediately legible, from valley floors to steep mountain slopes. The result is not merely a navigational aid, but a carefully measured expression of place, reflecting decades of federal survey work devoted to understanding the nation’s landforms, resources, and settlement patterns.

Jackson itself appears amid an extraordinary convergence of natural landmarks. Flat Creek threads through the valley near town, while Cache Creek, Willow Creek, and other drainages descend from the surrounding hills. To the west, Teton Pass marks a crucial mountain crossing, long significant for regional travel between Wyoming and Idaho. U.S. Route 26/89/191 helps define the transportation spine through the valley, connecting Jackson with Grand Teton National Park to the north and the broader Snake River system. South Park and the open valley lands south of town evoke a quieter era of ranching, pasture, and dispersed development, before Jackson became synonymous with high-end tourism, skiing, conservation, and western leisure.

The topographic character of the sheet is especially compelling. Dense contour lines reveal the abrupt rise of mountainous terrain around Jackson Hole, contrasting sharply with the gentler alluvial valley floors shaped by water, glaciation, and time. The Snake River and Gros Ventre River systems anchor the region’s hydrology, their courses helping explain both the ecological richness and the historic patterns of settlement in the valley. Nearby public lands, including Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, and the National Elk Refuge, situate the town within a protected landscape of exceptional scale. The map quietly records the intimate relationship between human access and wild country: roads and trails press toward forests, passes, creeks, and peaks.

As a historical snapshot, “Jackson” is particularly evocative because it predates much of the explosive growth that reshaped the town and surrounding area in subsequent decades. In 1963, Jackson was already tied to the fame of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, yet it had not fully assumed its later identity as an international resort destination. The map preserves a moment when ranch lands, refuge boundaries, forest roads, and modest urban form still dominated the valley’s geography. For collectors drawn to the American West, national park history, or the cartographic language of the USGS, this map offers a precise and atmospheric record of Jackson at the threshold between frontier mountain town and modern iconic landscape.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Jackson, Wyoming
• Snake River
• Teton Pass
• Grand Teton National Park
• National Elk Refuge
• Cache Creek
• Gros Ventre River
• Bridger-Teton National Forest
• Flat Creek
• Willow Creek
• South Park
• Various unnamed valleys and peaks
• U.S. Route 26/89/191
• Several hiking trails and roads adjacent to these areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Jackson, Wyoming and the surrounding area.
• Created using survey data from 1963 and published in 1966.
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a U.S. federal scientific agency known for comprehensive mapping and data collection.
• The USGS played a major role in geospatial data collection and environmental research, helping establish foundational geographic knowledge of the United States.
• Uses standard topographic styling, with contour lines showing elevation changes.
• Water features are depicted in blue, while green shading indicates vegetation and terrain features.
• Contour lines show varied terrain, including mountainous regions and valleys characteristic of the Jackson, Wyoming landscape.
• Since 1963, Jackson has experienced significant tourism growth and development, especially due to its proximity to major national parks.
• The map’s contour lines emphasize mountainous areas, while clearly delineated bodies of water highlight the region’s natural landscape.

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.