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2011 Map of Palo Alto

Name: 2011 Topographic Map of Palo Alto
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2011
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2011

About this map

Palo Alto sits at the western edge of this mountain landscape where the South Fork South Branch Potomac River and Whiteman Run converge. The topography is defined by a series of high ridges and deep hollows, many named for local families and natural features, including Huffman Hollow, Varner Hollow, and the aptly named Wildcat Hollow. These narrow valleys provided the primary corridors for early settlement and transport, often following the courses of Brushy Fork and Shaws Fork.

Modern water management is evident through a network of structures such as South Fork Structure Number 36 Dam and Dam Number 18, which regulate the headwaters flowing through Panther Run and Stony Run. To the east, the terrain rises toward Dyers Knob and the Shenandoah Mountain Picnic Area, where the drainage shifts into the North River basin. High points like Tearjacket Knob and Ugly Mountain dominate the central portion of the quadrangle, illustrating the complex geography of the Virginia-West Virginia borderlands.