Titled “Southwest Harbor,” this 1983 U.S. Geological Survey map presents the storied western side of Mount Desert Island and the adjacent island-dotted waters of the Maine coast at a detailed 1:24,000 scale. Centered on Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor, it captures a landscape where granite hills, sheltered coves, working waterfronts, and parkland meet in unusually dramatic proximity. The USGS topographic style brings the terrain into sharp relief: contour lines climb over the island’s ridges, trace the slopes above Somes Sound, and define the subtle rises and hollows around ponds, roads, and settlements. As a late twentieth-century record, it preserves the geography of a celebrated coastal region at a moment when conservation, tourism, and maritime life were all shaping its identity.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, and this map reflects the precision and discipline for which its quadrangles are prized. Rather than presenting scenery impressionistically, the USGS translates the coast into an exacting visual language of contours, symbols, hydrography, roads, and cultural features. On “Southwest Harbor,” that language is especially rich because the terrain is so varied: deep water presses against steep land, small lakes sit among wooded heights, and villages occupy narrow margins between shore and hill. The result is both technical and evocative, offering the viewer a carefully measured portrait of Maine’s coast while still conveying the rugged elegance that has long made Mount Desert Island a destination for explorers, artists, sailors, and summer residents.

Acadia National Park is one of the map’s defining presences, its trails, boundaries, and natural forms woven into the surrounding communities rather than isolated from them. The map shows the intricate relationship between parkland and town, where routes such as Route 102 guide movement through Mount Desert, toward Southwest Harbor, Seal Cove, Seawall, and other coastal places. The terrain within and around the park is legible through dense contouring, revealing the island’s hilly character and the way elevation shapes views, watersheds, and settlement patterns. Long Pond and smaller unnamed lakes punctuate the upland interior, while pathways suggest the human desire to traverse and interpret the landscape. In this sense, the map is not only geographical but experiential, charting the ways people move through one of America’s most beloved national parks.

The coastline is rendered with particular fascination, its inlets, points, islands, and harbor mouths giving the map a lively maritime character. Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor appear as protected anchorages within a larger seascape that includes Somes Sound, Bear Island, Little Cranberry Island, Great Cranberry Island, and the Cranberry Isles. These names evoke the sailing routes, ferry connections, fishing traditions, and seasonal rhythms that have defined this part of Maine for generations. Hockamock Head, Seawall, and Seal Cove underscore the diversity of the shore, from exposed ocean edges to more intimate coves and landings. The cartography makes clear why this region has always been both beautiful and practical: its waters invite passage and shelter, while its complicated shoreline demands careful knowledge.

As a 1983 historical snapshot, “Southwest Harbor” offers more than topographic information; it records a coastal world at a specific point in time. Roads, trails, developed areas, and park features reflect patterns of access and land use in the late twentieth century, allowing comparison with the present-day evolution of conservation, recreation, and coastal development. The map’s appeal lies in this combination of permanence and change. The granite ridges, ponds, islands, and harbors belong to a much older geological story, while the mapped towns and routes reveal a human landscape still adapting around them. For admirers of Acadia, Maine maritime history, and the refined clarity of USGS cartography, this map is a richly detailed portrait of one of New England’s most cherished coastal environments.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Southwest Harbor
• Northeast Harbor
• Acadia National Park
• Cranberry Isles
• Bear Island
• Mount Desert Island
• Somes Sound
• Long Pond
• Seal Cove
• Little Cranberry Island
• Great Cranberry Island
• Hockamock Head
• Seawall
• Mount Desert
• Highway routes, including Route 102
• Trails and pathways within Acadia National Park
• Various unnamed lakes and ponds

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Dated 1983 and carrying a 1983 imprint.
• Shows Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and the surrounding coastal Maine landscape.
• Created by the U.S. Geological Survey, known for authoritative cartographic and geological mapping work across the United States.
• Features a clear USGS topographic style with contour lines representing elevation changes.
• Uses color to distinguish land, water, and varying terrain types.
• Depicts hilly terrain, lakes, coastline, and local geographic features in detail.
• Serves as a historical snapshot of the region’s geography, land use, development, and environmental conditions as of 1983.
• Includes intricate coastline and elevation detailing, showing both natural and human-modified landscapes.

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.