2013 Map of Shady Valley

About this map

South Holston Lake and the high ridges of the Cherokee National Forest define this landscape along the Tennessee and Virginia border. Small mountain settlements like Offset, Crandull, and Twin Oaks sit along the narrow valley floors, while the higher elevations are marked by distinctive landmarks such as the Abingdon Gap Appalachian Trail Shelter and Dogwood Bench. The terrain is deeply inscribed with local family and descriptive names, from Graveyard Ridge to Marriage Ground Ridge, reflecting a long history of human presence in these gaps. Evidence of federal land management and community infrastructure is visible through the Jacobs Creek Job Corps and Camp Tom Howard. The drainage patterns of Beaverdam Cr and Big Jacob Cr shape the movement of people and resources through pass points like Sowbed Gap and Low Gap, connecting the highland ridges with the waters of the South Holston.