2011 Map of Snowy Mountain

About this map

Hardscrabble and Blue Grass anchor this 2011 survey of the high ridges and steep valleys along the West Virginia and Virginia border. The landscape is defined by the North Fork South Branch Potomac River, which snakes through a narrow corridor between River Hill and the massive bulk of Snowy Mountain. This region is characterized by named ridges and peaks like Devils Backbone and Middle Mountain, where remote settlements followed the logic of the terrain, settling in "hollows" and "flats" such as White Oak Flat. Genealogists and local historians can locate the Blue Grass Cemetery and trace the complex network of mountain streams, including Straight Fork and Teeter Camp Run, which shaped the early development and movement of families through these Appalachians. The map clearly shows the transition from West Virginia's County Hwy 17 into Virginia's road system near the southern edge.