1964 Map of Silers Bald

About this map

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the high ridges along the state line in this mid-1960s survey. The landscape is defined by the sharp divide of the Appalachian Trail, which follows the boundary between Sevier and Swain Counties. Water sources like Dripping Spring and the Moss Hollow River feed numerous prongs and branches that carve deep into the terrain, such as Lynn Camp Prong and Goshen Prong. Local nomenclature reflects the difficult topography and early human presence, seen in names like Mellinger Death Ridge, Seng Patch, and Ben Parton Lookout. This map documents a wilderness area largely devoid of permanent settlements, focused instead on the network of gaps and balds like Bearwallow Bald and Jakes Gap that once served as crucial passage points for travelers and residents of the high Smokies before the area's designation as a national park.