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1935 Map of Wayah Bald

Name: 1935 Topographic Map of Wayah Bald
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1935
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1935

About this map

Nantahala National Forest and the Tusquitee National Forest dominate this high-elevation terrain in Macon County, surveyed just before the mid-1930s. The landscape is defined by the steep ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, centered on the prominent Wayah Bald and the expansive Wayah Bald State Game Refuge. Small pockets of human settlement are tucked into the narrow valleys, including the rural post offices at Kyle PO and Flats PO, and the community of Burningtown.

Tracing the headwaters of the Nantahala River and Shooting Creek, the map highlights the isolated nature of mountain life during this era. Social focal points are sparse, limited to landmarks like Marshall Chapel and Oakdale Sch. Historic transportation routes are marked by named mountain passes such as Wayah Gap, Winding Stair Gap, and Burningtown Gap, which provided the only reliable transit through the densely packed knobs and ridges like Rocky Bald and Tallassee Bald.