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2016 Map of Tapoco

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Tapoco
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

The Little Tennessee River and its hydroelectric impoundments, including Calderwood Lake and Cheoah Lake, dominate this landscape where the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina meet. At the center of this industrial and mountain geography sits Tapoco, a settlement deeply tied to the regional power infrastructure. The terrain is defined by high ridges like Haoe Lead and Yellow Creek Mountains, separated by numerous gaps such as Deals Gap and Bearpen Gap.

Evidence of local mountain life is preserved through family-named sites and public institutions, including Farley Cem, Orr Cem, and the Mtn View School. Large tracts of protected land, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cherokee National Forest, and Nantahala National Forest, converge here, marking the area's transition from early Appalachian settlements and river commerce to a landscape of federal conservation and managed waterways.