Published in 1973 using survey data from 1951, the US Geological Survey’s “Salter Path Quadrangle” captures a revealing mid-century portrait of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. At the detailed 1:24,000 scale, Emerald Isle, Bogue Banks, Bogue Sound, and the Atlantic-facing strand appear with the precision that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to planners, engineers, naturalists, and travelers. The map records a coastline poised between older maritime landscapes and accelerating postwar development, when barrier-island communities were becoming more accessible and increasingly desirable. Roads, shorelines, waterways, and settlement patterns are rendered with crisp authority, offering not merely a geographic reference but a documentary glimpse of a coastal region before later decades of resort growth transformed its appearance and rhythms.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought scientific rigor and national ambition to American mapmaking, and this quadrangle belongs to that distinguished tradition. USGS topographic sheets were designed to make the land legible: elevations, marshes, streams, roads, boundaries, and cultural features all coexist in an elegant visual grammar. Here, the agency’s characteristic color coding distinguishes water, vegetation, contours, and human infrastructure with understated clarity. The result is both technical and evocative—a map that translates the low, shifting geography of the North Carolina coast into an ordered composition. Its careful delineation of Bogue Inlet, Onslow Bay, and the surrounding mainland reflects the Survey’s broader mission: to understand landscapes not as abstractions, but as living systems shaped by geology, hydrology, access, and habitation.

Emerald Isle and the adjacent portions of Bogue Banks form the emotional center of the map, their long, narrow barrier-island profile set between Bogue Sound and the open Atlantic. This is a landscape defined by edges: oceanfront beaches, tidal inlets, soundside marshes, and sandy roads threading through developing communities. Pine Knoll Shores, Cedar Point, Spicer Bay, and nearby coastal settlements appear as part of a broader mosaic of fishing grounds, residential enclaves, and recreational shorelines. The Crystal Coast’s enduring appeal is already visible in the geography itself: sheltered waters for boating and fishing, broad beaches facing Onslow Bay, and ecological richness at the meeting point of saltwater, forest, dune, and marsh. The map preserves that delicate coastal balance with exceptional clarity.

Inland from the beaches, the terrain shifts toward the wooded expanses and subtle elevations associated with Croatan National Forest. Though this region is not mountainous, the contour lines remain essential, tracing modest rises, drainage patterns, and the physical character of a low coastal plain where even small changes in elevation matter. Trails, roads, and waterways mark routes through pine forests, wetlands, and riverine corridors, revealing a landscape shaped as much by water as by land. Nearby military and strategic geography, including the presence of Camp Lejeune to the southwest, adds another layer of historical context. The quadrangle quietly records the coexistence of conservation land, military infrastructure, small communities, and expanding coastal access in the decades after World War II.

As a historical document, the “Salter Path Quadrangle” offers more than place names and shorelines; it captures a moment in the evolving identity of the North Carolina coast. Morehead City, Shackleford Banks, Cape Lookout, Bogue Inlet, and the wider coastline belong to a maritime world of fishing, navigation, tourism, and environmental change. The 1951 survey data gives the map particular value, preserving patterns of land use and settlement before many later roads, subdivisions, and vacation developments altered the region. Its combination of scientific exactitude and coastal atmosphere makes it especially compelling: a measured view of a beloved shoreline, where Atlantic waters, soundside habitats, forested interiors, and human ambition meet in one beautifully ordered cartographic record.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Emerald Isle
• Morehead City
• Atlantic Ocean
• Bogue Sound
• Onslow Bay
• Croatan National Forest
• Bogue Inlet
• Bogue Banks
• Pine Knoll Shores
• Spicer Bay
• Where Oak
• Cedar Point
• Camp Lejeune (Military Site)
• Shackleford Banks
• Cape Lookout
• Isle of Palms
• Coastline along North Carolina's Crystal Coast
• Various roads and trails indicated throughout the map

Historical context & cartographic details

• Name of the Map: Salter Path Quadrangle
• Map type and scale: Historical 1:24,000 topographical map
• Date of creation: Survey data from 1951, published in 1973
• Mapmaker/Publisher: US Geological Survey (USGS)
• USGS context: The USGS has been known for detailed topographic, geological, and hydrological mapping since its establishment in 1879
• Design and style: Uses vibrant color coding for elevations and water bodies, with clear delineation of roads and boundaries typical of USGS maps
• Topographic character: Shows a mix of coastal and inland features, with contour lines indicating elevation changes
• Historical significance: Provides insight into mid-20th century coastal development in North Carolina, including changes in land use, population patterns, and environmental conditions

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.