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2019 Map of Cove Creek Gap

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

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

The boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pisgah National Forest splits this landscape, where high ridgelines like Mt Sterling Ridge and Teaberry Ridge drop into deep creek drainages. The Pigeon River flows through the eastern portion, paralleled by I-40 as it winds through the mountains. For historians, the map is remarkably dense with family-named landmarks and remote burial sites, documenting the deep-rooted mountain communities that existed before and after park establishment.

Evidence of historical settlements like Nellie and Ola remains through structures and roads such as the Old Cataloochee Turnpike. Religious and social hubs are clearly marked, including the Little Cataloochee Baptist Church and Palmer Chapel. A high concentration of family cemeteries, such as the Sutton Cem, O E Kerr African Cem, and the unique McMahan's Grave, provides a vital genealogical record of the families who inhabited these hollows.