Published in 1978 from a map originally dated 1955, the United States Geological Survey’s “Moclips” captures a distinctive stretch of Washington’s outer coast at the precise 1:24,000 scale for which USGS quadrangles are prized. The sheet centers on Moclips and nearby Pacific Beach, two communities shaped by the meeting of forested uplands, sandy shore, and the restless Pacific. Its traditional topographic language—brown contour lines, blue waterways, green vegetation, and carefully coded roads and structures—presents the landscape as both scientifically measured and historically evocative. Here, the coastal margin is not an empty edge but a lived terrain of beaches, creeks, roads, settlements, and subtle elevation changes.

The USGS was, by the mid-twentieth century, the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, producing maps that served engineers, land managers, military planners, hikers, and local communities alike. In this quadrangle, its disciplined style reveals how carefully the coast was observed: contours trace low coastal relief and inland rises, while drainage lines show the delicate systems that carry water through forest and dune toward the ocean. The map’s 1955 base date is especially meaningful, preserving the geography of the Moclips area before later decades of coastal development, changing road alignments, shoreline management, and environmental reassessment altered the way this region was inhabited and understood.

Moclips itself has a layered coastal history, once promoted as a seaside resort destination and later remembered for the vulnerability of its oceanfront setting. The map shows the town in relation to Pacific Beach and Roosevelt Beach, linking them through the north-south coastal corridor that includes Highway 109. That road is more than a transportation feature: on the map it becomes a thread tying together scattered communities, beach access points, and inland routes through the wooded terrain of Grays Harbor County. The surrounding place names—Braden among them—suggest a landscape of small settlements and local landmarks rather than metropolitan growth, a coast defined by distance, weather, and the rhythms of the sea.

One of the map’s most compelling qualities is its portrayal of the Washington coast as a dynamic meeting of landforms. The coastline runs as a bold organizing presence, while the contour pattern inland shows a region that rises quickly from beach and lowland into uneven, forested ground. Creeks and minor streams articulate the drainage of this wet maritime landscape, where rainfall, soil, vegetation, and slope combine to produce a richly textured terrain. The map’s visual system makes these relationships legible: contour intervals clarify elevation, symbols identify constructed features, and shaded or colored vegetation areas distinguish the character of the land behind the oceanfront.

Seen today, “Moclips” is also a historical document of environmental change. Washington’s Pacific shore is subject to erosion, storms, shifting sands, and human intervention, and a mid-century topographic record offers a valuable comparison point for understanding how the coastline and built environment have evolved. The proximity of the broader Olympic Peninsula landscape, including the great protected areas to the north and east, gives additional context to this small coastal quadrangle: it belongs to a region where wilderness, timberlands, beach towns, and ocean weather intersect. Elegant in its restraint and exacting in its detail, the map transforms a quiet coastal district into a finely observed portrait of place.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Moclips
• Pacific Beach
• Roosevelt Beach
• Braden
• Grays Harbor
• Olympic National Park nearby
• Oceanside coastline
• Highway 109 and other roadways
• Creeks and rivers in the vicinity
• Water bodies and contour elevations

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Moclips, Pacific Beach, and the surrounding Washington coast.
• Dated 1955, with a 1978 imprint.
• Produced by the United States Geological Survey, also known as USGS.
• Uses traditional USGS topographic styling, including contour lines and symbols for natural and man-made features.
• Shows coastal elevation changes, river systems, vegetation areas, and rugged terrain characteristic of this part of Washington.
• Provides historical insight into development and environmental changes in and around Moclips since 1955.
• Uses shading and contour lines to highlight terrain and elevation across the coastal region.

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.