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1988 Map of Rabun Bald

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Rabun Bald
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The high ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains define this corner of Georgia and North Carolina, where Sky Valley sits as a high-altitude settlement near the state line. Much of the land is protected within the Chattahoochee National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, preserving a landscape of steep gaps and knobs like Penson Knob and Pinnacle Knob. The drainage patterns of Mud Creek and Warwoman Creek dictate the historic placement of mountain roads and small communities.

Genealogical interest is found in family-named sites such as Kelly Cem, Duncan Cem, and Kell Cem, which are scattered among the ridges. The presence of the Bartram Trail and several lookout points, including a Lookout Tower on the high ground, indicates the area's transition into a recreational landscape by the late 1980s. The map also records early social centers like Hale Church and the site of Locust School Gap.