Published with a 1985 imprint from 1984 mapping, the USGS “Yachats Quadrangle” captures one of the most dramatic stretches of the central Oregon Coast at the intimate 1:24,000 scale. Centered on Yachats, the map brings together the Pacific shoreline, coastal settlement, forested uplands, and the steep terrain that rises almost immediately from the ocean. Its provisional status gives it particular historical interest, suggesting a working-era cartographic document issued to make current geographic information available while refinement continued. The result is a richly practical portrait of place: a map designed not merely to locate roads and streams, but to describe the shape, difficulty, and environmental character of a rugged coastal landscape.

The U.S. Geological Survey’s quadrangle maps are among the defining achievements of American public cartography, and this sheet belongs to that tradition of meticulous, data-driven landscape description. Founded in 1879, the USGS became essential to the systematic mapping of landforms, waterways, mineral resources, forests, and developing communities across the United States. By the late twentieth century, its 7.5-minute topographic series had become indispensable to planners, scientists, hikers, engineers, and local governments. In the “Yachats Quadrangle,” that institutional precision is evident in the carefully organized symbology: contour lines, drainage patterns, roads, trails, and named features all working together to create a dense yet legible geographic record.

Yachats itself occupies a remarkable position between ocean and mountain, and the map makes that relationship immediately visible. The Pacific Ocean defines the western edge, while the land to the east rises into ridges, creeks, and forested slopes associated with the Siuslaw National Forest. Cape Perpetua, one of the area’s most celebrated coastal landmarks, appears as part of a broader terrain of abrupt elevation changes and scenic promontories. Nearby features such as San Martin, Culver Ridge, Cummins Ridge, Drift Creek, and Thiel Creek help reveal the intricacy of the coastal watershed. The map’s contouring emphasizes how compressed and dynamic this landscape is, with valleys, hillsides, and ocean-facing bluffs tightly interwoven.

The design of the map is classic USGS topographic cartography: functional, elegant, and extraordinarily information-rich. Closely spaced contour lines articulate the steepness of the coastal uplands, while gentler intervals identify valleys, terraces, and stream corridors. Roads and trails thread through the terrain, showing how human movement adapts to the constraints imposed by ridges, forests, and drainage systems. The topographic style is especially well suited to this part of Oregon, where elevation, vegetation, and hydrology shape both everyday access and long-term land use. Rather than presenting the coast as a simple scenic edge, the map reveals it as a complex environmental system, where ocean exposure, mountain slopes, and forested watersheds meet.

Historically, maps such as the “Yachats Quadrangle” have played an important role in understanding and managing Oregon’s coastal landscapes. During the later twentieth century, communities like Yachats faced growing interest from tourism, residential development, conservation planning, and recreational use, all while remaining embedded in ecologically sensitive terrain. The presence of the Siuslaw National Forest and numerous parks, trails, creeks, and ridges underscores the area’s dual identity as both inhabited coast and protected natural region. For environmental planning, resource management, emergency response, and outdoor navigation, the USGS quadrangle offered an authoritative common reference. Today, it also stands as a historical snapshot of Yachats and its surroundings at a moment when careful mapping was vital to balancing access, development, and preservation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Yachats
• Siuslaw National Forest
• Pacific Ocean
• San Martin
• Culver Ridge
• Cape Perpetua
• Cummins Ridge
• Drift Creek
• Thiel Creek
• Various unnamed parks and trails

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map.
• Dated 1984, with a 1985 imprint.
• Identified as a provisional map.
• Uses a topographic style with contour lines and shaded relief to show elevation changes.
• Depicts rugged coastal terrain, including hills, valleys, ridges, and ocean-adjacent landforms.
• Shows roads and trails through cartographic detail.
• Reflects the USGS tradition of mapping for land use, natural resource study, and environmental planning.
• Useful for understanding Oregon coastal development pressures and landscape management in the late twentieth century.

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.