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1946 Map of Shining Rock

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of Shining Rock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Pisgah National Forest dominates this mid-century survey of the high-elevation wilderness where the Haywood and Transylvania county lines meet. The landscape is defined by the headwaters of the Big East Fork Pigeon River and the Davidson River, which flow from a series of prominent peaks and ridges. Notable features include the Shining Rock formation and its surrounding ledge, along with several significant waterfalls such as Yellowstone Falls, Second Falls, and Slick Rock Falls.

A Fish Rearing Station and the Pilot Mtn Lookout Tower represent the primary human infrastructure in this largely undeveloped area. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds across the southern portion of the quadrangle, intersecting a network of established paths like the Buckhorn Gap Trail and Avery Creek Trail. This 1946 examination provides a detailed record of the forest's topographic character before decades of increased recreational use, marking numerous named gaps such as Ivestor Gap and Shining Rock Gap used for navigation through the high country.