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2019 Map of Bunches Bald

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

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses the majority of this high-elevation landscape, where the borders of Swain, Haywood, and Jackson counties converge. The terrain is defined by massive ridges such as Hyatt Ridge, Spruce Mtn Ridge, and Heintooga Ridge, which historically dictated the movement of people and livestock through high passes like Polls Gap and Big Witch Gap. This 2019 survey documents the complex system of modern Bureau of Indian Affairs routes and primitive trails that provide access to the community of Big Cove and the nearby McGhee Cem.

Infrastructure in this wilderness environment is notable for its specialized engineering, specifically the Big Witch Tunnel and Bunches Bald Tunnel which carry the Heintooga Ridge Road through the crests of the mountains. The map also traces the headwaters of numerous waterways, including Raven Fork and Flat Cr, which features the notable Flat Creek Falls. From Cataloochee Balsam to the Cataloochee Divide, the map captures the intersection of protected parkland and traditional ancestral territories.