1965 Map of Big Meadows

About this map

Shenandoah National Park dominates the eastern half of this landscape, where the Blue Ridge crest is traversed by the iconic Skyline Drive. This 1965 survey (updated in 1979) documents the high-altitude facilities at Big Meadows, including the Big Meadows Ranger Station, Byrd Visitor Center, and the nearby Amphitheater. The terrain drops sharply into the Page Valley to the west, where rural life is centered around small crossroads and family-named hollows. In this valley, the Norfolk and Western railroad tracks run parallel to Hawksbill Creek, connecting the larger settlement of Stanley with communities like Marksville and Blaineville. Genealogists will find numerous rural sanctuaries such as Bethlehem Ch and Hawksbill Ch, alongside several cemeteries that dot the landscape from Varner Hill down to Mink Hollow.