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2019 Map of Back Valley

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Back Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Powell River meanders across the Virginia-Tennessee border in this detailed study of the ridge-and-valley landscape. The terrain is defined by the massive parallel heights of Wallen Ridge, Newman Ridge, and Powell Mtn, which isolate the long, narrow depression of Back Valley. These ridges are breached only by specific crossings such as Bales Gap and Jones Gap, funneling local travel through narrow hollows like Bartley Hollow and Snake Hollow.

Family history is preserved in landmarks such as the Wolfenbarger Cem near the small settlement of Wolfenbarger, and the Brewers Chapel to the south. Industrial and transportation history is visible at Thompson Mill along the river and the Mountain Outlaw Airport near Evanston. The map documents a rural landscape where small communities like Sunnyside are connected by a network of winding mountain roads like Brown Town Rd and Rebel Hollow Rd.