1964 Map of Thunderhead Mtn

About this map

Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses this entire high-altitude terrain along the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. The ridgeline serves as a literal and political divide, with the Appalachian Trail following the crest through prominent gaps and peaks like Mount Davis and the Sugar Tree Gap. This survey documents a landscape of deep drainages and named ridges, where historical human presence is marked by isolated structures such as the Spence Field Shelter and the Hall Cabin Ruins located near the Middle Prong Little River. The area around Tremont and Big Spring Cove shows the intricate network of watercourses, including Sams Creek and Lynn Camp Prong, that define the hydrology of the western Smokies. For researchers, the map provides a clear record of established hiking routes like the Jenkins Ridge Trail and family-named landmarks like Wilkinson Ridge during the mid-1960s.