2022 Map of Hayesville

About this map

Hayesville serves as the focal point of this Western North Carolina landscape, where the Hiwassee River winds through a valley defined by the Tusquitee Mountains. The map reveals a community structured around its civic and spiritual centers, notably the Clay County Government Center and historic burial grounds like the First United Methodist Church Cem and Ledford Chapel Methodist Cem. To the north, the terrain rises sharply into the Nantahala National Forest, a dense network of ridges such as Kimsey Ridge and Graveyard Ridge cut by numerous watercourses including Fires Creek and Tusquitee Creek. The southern portion of the sheet is dominated by the waters of Chatuge Lake, where islands like Gibby Island and Penland Island break the surface. This cartographic study illustrates the settlement patterns of Clay County, showing how residential growth along roads like Old HWY 64 W follows the natural contours of the river valley and the foothills of the Blue Ridge.