Loading map...

1964 Map of Silers Bald

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Silers Bald
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the high crest of the southern Appalachians in this mid-1960s survey, marking the rugged boundary between Tennessee and North Carolina. The Appalachian Trail follows the spine of the range, crossing prominent peaks like Silers Bald and Mt Buckley before passing through The Narrows. This high-elevation wilderness is defined by steep ridges and deep prongs, where many water bodies like Little River and Fish Camp Prong originate from the mountain springs.

Evidence of the area's recreational development is visible through a network of trails, including a Bridle Path and various Jeep Trails that provided access before the full transition to more restricted wilderness management. Backcountry infrastructure is sparse but present, noted by the Monteith Camp and Cascades Campsite, while the complex topography is revealed through distinctive landforms such as Double Spring Gap and Devils Court House Ridge.