Published in 1977 from original 1951 survey data, the USGS quadrangle titled “Camp Grafton” presents a precise mid-century portrait of Devils Lake and its surrounding North Dakota landscape. At a scale of 1:24,000, the map balances scientific clarity with a quietly elegant topographic aesthetic: blue water forms, fine contour lines, carefully lettered place names, and a measured hierarchy of roads, trails, and built features. Devils Lake dominates the composition, its irregular shoreline shaping the geography of the sheet, while nearby settlements, military lands, creeks, wooded patches, and subtle relief are rendered with the disciplined accuracy for which the United States Geological Survey became famous.

The United States Geological Survey was, by the time this map was prepared, the authoritative American institution for systematic topographic mapping. Its quadrangle maps were essential tools for engineers, planners, soldiers, geologists, farmers, and travelers, translating the land into a standardized visual language of contours, symbols, and surveyed detail. In “Camp Grafton,” that language captures both utility and atmosphere: the sweep of the prairie, the rise and fall of low hills, the relationship between roads and shorelines, and the boundaries of developed and reserved land. Such maps were not decorative fantasies but instruments of national knowledge, created to make terrain legible and to support decisions about land, water, infrastructure, and defense.

Devils Lake, the largest natural body of water in North Dakota, is the central geographical presence on the sheet. Its broad waters and complex margins reveal a landscape governed by hydrology, glacial terrain, and changing climate. Unlike rivers that drain cleanly toward the sea, Devils Lake occupies a closed basin, making it especially sensitive to precipitation, evaporation, and long-term water-level fluctuation. The map records the lake as understood through mid-twentieth-century survey work, before later decades brought dramatic environmental change to the region. Around the shoreline, smaller lakes, creeks, lowlands, and wooded areas create a varied topographic setting, suggesting both ecological richness and the practical challenges of movement, settlement, and land management.

Camp Grafton and the State Military Reservation give the map a distinctive historical dimension. Located near Devils Lake, Camp Grafton has long served as an important military training area, and its presence on the quadrangle links the natural landscape to the strategic needs of the postwar United States. Roads, trails, and reservation boundaries show how military use was fitted into the broader geography of farms, lakeshores, and small communities. Places such as Devils Lake, Grand Harbor, Gilbert Grafton, Crewels, and Missions appear within this network, anchoring the map in local human geography. The result is a document that conveys not only terrain, but also jurisdiction, mobility, and the layered uses of a northern plains landscape.

The enduring fascination of this map lies in its status as a snapshot of a mutable place. Devils Lake’s water levels have risen and fallen dramatically over time, affecting roads, shorelines, agriculture, habitats, and communities; a 1951 survey therefore becomes an invaluable reference point for understanding environmental transformation. The contours around the lake, the mapped wetlands and drainage features, and the careful placement of roads and settlements all invite comparison with later conditions. At once technical and evocative, “Camp Grafton” captures North Dakota’s prairie-lake country at a particular historical moment, where military reservation, small-town life, glacial landforms, and a restless inland sea meet within the disciplined frame of USGS cartography.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Devils Lake
• Grand Harbor
• Gilbert Grafton
• Crewels
• Missions
• Camp Grafton
• State Military Reservation
• Numerous smaller lakes and creeks
• Trails
• Gravel and paved roads surrounding the area
• Hills, valleys, and wooded areas surrounding the lake

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Devils Lake, North Dakota, and the surrounding area.
• Original data was collected in 1951; the map was published with a 1977 imprint.
• The USGS has a long history of producing topographical maps used for land use planning, natural resource management, and recreation.
• Devils Lake is the largest natural body of water in North Dakota.
• Camp Grafton is a notable military training area.
• The map uses a typical topographical style, with contour lines showing elevation changes.
• Clear labeling identifies natural features, developed areas, roads, trails, and military sites.
• The color scheme distinguishes water, vegetation, and developed areas.
• Contours and shading depict the varying elevations around Devils Lake, including landforms and water bodies.
• The region has experienced environmental changes over time, especially fluctuations in Devils Lake’s water levels that have affected ecological and human activity.

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.