1966 Map of Rucker Gap

About this map

Monongahela National Forest and George Washington National Forest converge at this point along the border of Virginia and West Virginia. The landscape is defined by the high ridges of Middle Mtn, Anthony Creek Mountain, and Oliver Mountain, where numerous drafts and runs carve deep into the terrain. In the northwestern corner, Anthony Creek flows past Columbia Sulphur Springs, an area showing concentrated settlement and local landmarks like Watts Chapel and its adjacent Watts Chapel Cem. The map reveals a network of old transport routes, including the Neola Road and various Jeep Trails, which connected remote mountain homesteads and springs to the larger valleys. This mid-1960s survey captures the intersection of three counties—Greenbrier, Bath, and Alleghany—at Rucker Gap, a critical pass between the watersheds of Meadow Creek and Hughes Draft.