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2019 Map of Sam Knob

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Sam Knob
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Richland Balsam and the high ridges of the Great Balsam Mountains dominate this 2019 survey, where the borders of Haywood, Jackson, and Transylvania counties meet. This area is a critical junction for recreational passage, featuring the winding path of the Blue Ridge Parkway as it skirts landmarks like Devils Courthouse Tunnel. The landscape is largely protected within the Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest, preserving a network of high-elevation gaps and summits including Reinhart Knob and Rough Butt Bald.

Water defines the lower elevations, with the West Fork Pigeon River and W Fork French Broad River drawing from numerous high-country branches. Notable water features such as Balsam Lake and Dill Falls are documented alongside major hiking routes like the Mountains to Sea Trail and the Art Loeb Trail. This map captures a modern wilderness managed for conservation, showing the intricate relationship between steep topography and the headwaters of several major North Carolina river systems.