1965 Map of Big Meadows

About this map

Shenandoah National Park dominates the eastern half of this 1965 survey, where the winding Skyline Drive and the Appalachian Trail trace the high crests of the Blue Ridge. This mid-century view shows the park's developed recreational landscape, including Skyland, the Big Meadows Campground, and numerous overlooks like Spitler Knoll Overlook. The terrain is defined by dramatic peaks and gaps such as Hawksbill, Stony Mtn, and Fishers Gap, while the western lowlands in Page County reveal a contrasting pattern of rural settlement. Here, the Norfolk and Western railroad runs through the valley, connecting the communities of Stanley and Marksville. Local history is preserved in the numerous family cemeteries and country churches scattered through the hollows, such as Mt Carmel Ch and St Georges Ch, reflecting the heritage of families who lived in these ridges before and after the park's establishment.