1946 Map of Big Ridge

About this map

Tuckasegee River headwaters dominate this high-elevation terrain within the Nantahala National Forest, where the complex drainage patterns of the Blue Ridge are intricately documented. Small pockets of human presence appear at Indian Place and the Morrie Woods Camp, while the Rock Bridge Sch provides a rare marker of established community infrastructure in the remote highlands. The landscape is defined by its water, from the engineered Thorpe Reservoir and Fairfield Lake to numerous natural cascades like Schoolhouse Falls and Maidenhair Falls. Significant topographical features such as Double Mountain and the steep Dillard Canyon shape the movement of the Horsepasture River as it flows south. This survey, completed shortly after the war, captures the transition of the region from a purely wilderness timberland toward one featuring managed reservoirs and early recreational camps.