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2016 Map of Palo Alto

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Palo Alto
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Palo Alto sits along the State Rte 620 corridor, positioned where the high ridges of the Alleghenies meet the Virginia and West Virginia border. The landscape is dominated by the sprawling George Washington National Forest, where the terrain rises sharply toward Shenandoah Mountain and several distinctive peaks including Buffalo Knob and High Knob. This 2016 survey captures a highland environment defined by complex water systems, notably the South Fork South Branch Potomac River and its various tributaries like Crummetts Run and Brushy Fork.

Evidence of local hydrology is found in landmarks like Warren Rexrode Spring and Puffenbarger Pond, while historical hollows such as Huffman Hollow and Sinclair Hollow suggest long-established patterns of settlement following the natural gaps between ridges. The presence of Dyers Knob and Tearjacket Knob along the county and state boundaries illustrates the formidable geographic barriers that have shaped the political and social boundaries of Highland County, Virginia and Pendleton County, West Virginia.