Loading map...

2022 Map of Elk Mills

Name: 2022 Topographic Map of Elk Mills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2022
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2022

About this map

Cherokee National Forest and Pisgah National Forest converge in this high-elevation corner where Tennessee meets North Carolina. The landscape is defined by the waters of Watauga Lake and the Watauga River, which carved deep valleys between massifs like Gipson Mtn and the Stone Mountains. Small communities such as Buntontown and Elk Mills are situated along the riverbanks and winding mountain roads, showing a settlement pattern dictated by the steep topography.

Genealogists will find a high concentration of family burying grounds, including the Old Mountain View Cem and Sugar Grove Baptist Church Cem, reflecting the deep-rooted kinship networks of the Johnson and Carter county borderlands. The map reveals the intricate drainage system of the Blue Ridge, from Roan Creek in the north to the headwaters of Beech Creek in the south, illustrating the geographic isolation that preserved local traditions in these mountain hamlets.