Published in 1971 from 1967 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Sun Valley” captures one of Idaho’s most evocative mountain landscapes at a pivotal moment in its modern recreational history. Centered on Ketchum and Sun Valley, the map records the precise meeting of resort development, historic settlement, river corridors, and high-country wilderness. The Big Wood River threads through the valley, binding together the towns, roads, trails, and ski terrain that made the region nationally famous. With its disciplined topographic language—contour lines, spot elevations, color-coded vegetation, and terrain shading—the map presents Sun Valley not merely as a destination, but as a carefully measured landscape of ridges, bowls, creeks, and mountain approaches.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the scientific clarity and cartographic authority for which it became renowned. Founded in the late nineteenth century to classify public lands and map the nation’s geology and resources, the USGS created maps that served engineers, foresters, miners, hikers, planners, and travelers alike. Here, its familiar visual grammar transforms complex mountain terrain into an elegant, readable record: green areas mark woodland and vegetation, pale tones open across exposed slopes and valleys, and closely spaced contours reveal abrupt climbs and descents. The result is both utilitarian and beautiful, a portrait of elevation and access in a region where landform dictates every road, trail, stream, and settlement pattern.

Ketchum and Sun Valley occupy the cultural heart of the map, surrounded by features that speak to the area’s fame as a mountain playground. Bald Mountain, with its commanding presence west of town, anchors the skiing landscape that helped define Sun Valley’s identity, while Dollar Mountain rises closer to the resort’s original center. River Run, Warm Springs, and the approaches to the ski slopes suggest the evolving infrastructure of recreation in the late 1960s. Yet the map also preserves the older geography beneath the glamour: creeks, railroad alignments, local roads, and valley-floor routes show how mining, ranching, logging, and transportation shaped the Wood River country long before it became synonymous with alpine leisure.

Beyond the towns, the terrain opens into a dramatic Idaho high country of summits, springs, lakes, and river systems. Galena Summit marks a notable northern passage through the mountains, while Smiley Creek, Yellow Belly Lake, Lemonade Springs, Birch Creek, and the Little Wood River point toward a wider network of basins and drainages. Mount Heyburn and nearby rugged uplands evoke the Sawtooth country’s serrated skyline, where steep relief and glaciated forms give the region its unmistakable character. Trails and roads trace human movement through this topography, but the dominant impression remains one of elevation: ridgelines, wooded slopes, narrow valleys, and watersheds rendered with the precision of a map made for both exploration and management.

As a historical document, this 1967 view of Sun Valley is especially compelling because it records the area before many later decades of resort expansion, residential development, environmental planning, and recreational intensification. The map allows modern viewers to compare past and present patterns of land use: where roads reached, where trails were marked, how river corridors were treated, and how settlement clustered around Ketchum and Sun Valley. It also reflects a period when outdoor recreation was becoming a major force in the American West, reshaping economies and landscapes once tied more closely to extraction and agriculture. In this sense, the map is both a technical survey and a time capsule of Idaho mountain life.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Sun Valley
• Ketchum
• Warm Springs
• Galena Summit
• Wood River
• Little Wood River
• Bald Mountain
• Dollar Mountain
• River Run
• Silver Creek
• Lemonade Springs
• Yellow Belly Lake
• Big Wood River
• Birch Creek
• Mount Heyburn
• Smiley Creek
• Parks and protected areas
• Trails, including various hiking paths and routes
• Roads, including state and local highways
• Railroads, including historical and existing alignments as noted

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical topographical map produced by the US Geological Survey, showing Ketchum, Sun Valley, and surrounding areas in Idaho.
• Created in 1967 and published in 1971.
• Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS), known for detailed topographic maps and geographic data.
• Highlights Ketchum and Sun Valley, popular locations known for outdoor recreation, skiing, and tourism.
• Features contour lines representing elevation changes.
• Uses color coding, with green indicating vegetation and lighter shades showing elevation changes and different terrain types.
• Shows significant elevation variation due to the mountainous terrain around the Sun Valley area.
• Reflects the geographical state of the area in 1967, useful for understanding changes in land development, natural resource management, and recreational use 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.