Titled “White Salmon,” this US Geological Survey topographical map was created in 1994 and published with a 1996 imprint, capturing the Columbia River Gorge region as it stood in the mid-1990s. At its center is the dramatic meeting of river, road, settlement, and escarpment, with Mosier, Oregon, set along the Columbia River and the White Salmon River shaping the northern landscape. The 1:24,000 scale offers the intimate precision for which USGS quadrangles are prized, rendering local highways, tributaries, valleys, wooded slopes, and survey markers in careful detail. As both a cartographic document and a historical record, it preserves a richly specific view of this celebrated corridor between Oregon and Washington.

The US Geological Survey brought more than a century of scientific discipline to maps such as “White Salmon,” and that institutional rigor is evident throughout. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the United States’ foremost authority on topographic mapping, geology, hydrology, and environmental observation. Its quadrangle maps were designed not merely for travelers, but for engineers, planners, researchers, land managers, and anyone needing to understand terrain with dependable precision. Here, the landscape is interpreted through a refined system of contour lines, elevation markings, hydrographic detail, roads, and place names. The result is a map that balances utility with quiet visual elegance, translating a complex river-gorge environment into a legible geographic portrait.

The topography depicted is especially compelling: hills, valleys, riverbanks, and upland slopes are articulated by closely spaced contour lines that reveal the steepness and rhythm of the land. The Columbia River dominates the composition, acting as both a natural boundary and a defining force in the region’s history. Tributaries and unnamed drainages descend toward the river, carving subtle valleys through forested terrain. The color-coded relief style clarifies changes in elevation, allowing the viewer to read the land almost three-dimensionally. In this part of the gorge, geography is never passive; cliffs, benches, river terraces, and wooded inclines shape movement, settlement, and the visual drama of the map.

Mosier, Oregon, appears as a modest but important populated place along the Columbia, positioned within a landscape long shaped by river travel, agriculture, rail and road corridors, and gorge winds. Local highways and smaller roads thread through the terrain, revealing the practical routes by which communities connected across an otherwise rugged setting. The broader region is associated with the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a landscape renowned for its sharp transitions between river, forest, dry slopes, and basalt formations. The map’s attention to roads, waterways, and survey points makes it possible to trace not only where people lived and traveled, but how infrastructure adapted to the demands of the land.

As a historical artifact of the 1990s, “White Salmon” offers a valuable baseline for observing later changes in land use, transportation, conservation, and development in the Columbia River Gorge. Maps of this kind often become more revealing with age: a road alignment, a named feature, a settlement edge, or a mapped forest boundary can mark a moment in the evolving relationship between people and place. Its detailed depiction of Mosier, the Columbia River, the White Salmon River, and the surrounding slopes preserves a precise cartographic snapshot of a dynamic region. For collectors, historians, and lovers of American landscapes, it is a finely observed record of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most distinctive terrains.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Mosier, Oregon
• Columbia River
• White Salmon River
• Scenic Area
• Various tributaries and unnamed valleys
• Forested areas
• Roads, including local highways
• Landmarks and surveys noted on the map, such as geological survey markers

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map name: White Salmon
• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Created in 1994 and published with a 1996 imprint.
• The US Geological Survey is known for detailed geographic information, cartography, and environmental monitoring.
• Uses a color-coded relief style to differentiate elevations and landscape features.
• Contour lines indicate elevation changes and help show the steepness and layout of the terrain.
• Depicts diverse topography, including hills and valleys.
• Serves as a historical record of the region’s geographical and infrastructural status in the mid-1990s.
• Useful for comparing later changes in land use and development.
• Features well-defined contour intervals that enhance understanding of the region’s topography and landforms.

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.