Issued in 1927 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, this topographic portrait of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks captures the Sierra Nevada at a pivotal moment for American conservation. Rendered in a polyconic projection and articulated by 100‑foot contour intervals, the map translates granite massifs, plunging canyons, and high meadows into an exacting language of lines and elevations. The Great Western Divide steps across the sheet as a serrated backbone, separating watershed from watershed, while Mount Whitney anchors the alpine skyline as the highest summit in the contiguous United States. Rivers like the Kern, Kings, and Kaweah unwind through deep-cut valleys, their courses guiding both ecosystems and the earliest waves of backcountry travel.

The map’s hydrology and relief are a study in geological time. Glacier-sculpted Kings Canyon is recorded with remarkable clarity, from Cedar Grove’s sheltered floor to the spray of Grizzly Falls. Northward lie Sheep Mountain and the cool oval of Silliman Lake, while to the south the Kern River threads a remote corridor beneath the Divide. Trails and early access roads are traced with care, revealing how visitors of the 1920s first penetrated the high country by automobile and foot. Park boundaries are crisply delineated, a cartographic statement of federal protection at a time when public demand for wilderness recreation was accelerating.

Among the most compelling elements is the map’s attention to the giant sequoia realm. The Giant Forest spreads across the central panels, adjacent to Crescent Meadow and the stone promontory of Moro Rock. Here the General Sherman Tree—later famed as the world’s largest tree by volume—is set amid named groves, while to the north the General Grant Tree stands within General Grant National Park, celebrated in 1926 by presidential proclamation as the Nation’s Christmas Tree. The precise plotting of groves, trails, and overlooks documents how the National Park Service balanced accessibility with stewardship, shaping visitor experience while safeguarding irreplaceable old-growth cathedrals.

Human history and natural history intersect vividly in the Mineral King Valley, where 19th‑century silver prospects left routes that the map captures as footpaths into high basins. Crystal Cave appears as a noted cavern within the marble belt, part of a subterranean tapestry that enriches the region’s geology. Smaller features—Buck Creek’s side canyon, wildlife habitats sketched by elevation and aspect, and the celebrated Tunnel View vantage along the approach road—convey a landscape both inviting and formidable. Together they illustrate the USGS’s broader mission since 1879: to survey resources with scientific rigor while, in this collaboration with the NPS, advancing a national ethic of preservation.

For mountaineers and naturalists of the era, this sheet functioned as itinerary and invitation. Routes to Mount Whitney and along the Great Western Divide are charted with the fidelity that made early ascents and extended traverses possible, even as new roads began reshaping patterns of visitation. Historically, the map stands at the confluence of the automobile age and the conservation movement, documenting infrastructure just as it opened these parks to a broader public. Its disciplined design—contours, watercourses, elevation ticks, and named landmarks woven into a coherent whole—offers an invaluable, time-specific record of the Sierra Nevada in the late 1920s, when American wilderness was being both discovered and defended.

Places on this map

• Sequoia National Park
• General Grant National Park
• Mount Whitney
• Kern River
• Kings River
• Mineral King Valley
• Great Western Divide
• Kaweah River
• Giant Forest
• Crescent Meadow
• Moro Rock
• Giant Sequoia Groves
• Cedar Grove
• Crystal Cave
• Tunnel View
• Buck Creek
• Waterfalls (notably Grizzly Falls)
• Kings Canyon
• Silliman Lake
• Sheep Mountain

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Contour lines representing elevation changes.
• Major peaks, including Mount Whitney.
• Hiking trails and routes within the parks.
• Rivers such as the Kern River and Kings River.
• The Great Western Divide, a significant ridge.
• Mineral King Valley, associated with historical silver mining.
• Various wildlife habitats within the parks.
• Landmarks like the General Sherman Tree and General Grant Tree.
• Park boundaries delineated with clear markers.
• Roads providing access to different park areas.

Historical and design context

• Created in 1927, reflecting rising park tourism and early automobile access.
• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, underscoring a conservation-focused partnership (USGS established in 1879).
• Uses a polyconic projection with a 100-foot contour interval.
• Shows detailed topography: elevations, rivers, valleys, trails, and elevation markers.
• Centers on Sequoia and General Grant National Parks in California’s Sierra Nevada.
• Conveys early 20th-century conservation efforts and infrastructure development.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x16in (40x40cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.