Documenting the American South

Interactive Maps

The following selection of historic maps from the "Driving Through Time" project can be viewed as Interactive Maps, which means that they are layered directly on top of current road maps or satellite images. Each historic map has been geo-referenced, meaning that it should line up very closely with the current map. This technique allows users to "see through" the historic maps and gain insights about how plans for the Parkway evolved (how some plans for the Parkway were different from what was finally built), and how the Parkway landscape has changed over time.

It is important to note that some of the maps we include here were planning maps while others are maps that depict the Parkway's "as-built" condition. Given that plans often changed, planning maps sometimes do not match what now lies on the ground.

By default, the Interactive Maps are presented with a historic map placed on top of a current hybrid Google satellite image marked with road names. Using the options available under the small blue arrow on the right of the map, visitors can change the base image to show either only the satellite image, only the street map, or the original hybrid layer. Additionally, they can turn the historic map on and off. The "opacity" control at the bottom of each map allows continuous fading of the historic map to make it easier to see the layer underneath. And conventional Google map controls on the left side allow users to zoom in and out and move the around the image.

These maps are also available for download in a format suitable for use in Geographic Information System (GIS) software. Please visit the Davis Library GIS page for more information.

• Blue Ridge Parkway Map, None. None. 2005
• Bluff Service Center, None. Bluff Park Maintenance Area. 1945
• Cabin Group, Bluff Park. Bluff Park;. 1940
• Cabins, Bluff Park. Bluff Park;. None
• Crabtree Meadows Service Center, None. Crabtree Meadows;. 1945
• Cumberland Knob, None. Cumberland Knob;. 1942
• Detail Map, Project 7813-Ashe County, Horse Gap to Glendale Springs N.C.. Section 2D. 1936
• Eastern National Park-to-Park Highway, Agreed on in Conference at Washington, D.C., April 4, 1931. None. 1931
• Geologic Map, Section 1A to 2A, Part of the Master Plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway. None. 1940
• Geologic Map, Section 1V to 2V, Part of the Master Plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway. None. 1940
• Grandfather Mt. Acquisition - Kelsey Proposal, Sections 2H 2J & 2K. Grandfather Mountain. 1946
• Grandfather Mt. Lands Map, Sec. 2H Blue Ridge Parkway. Section 2H;. 1962
• Grandfather Mtn. Area-Acquisition Map, Section 2-H. Section 2H;. 1944
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, None. None. 2009
• Grounds Development, Linville River - Sect. 2J. Section 2J. 1943
• L.F. Caudill, Vicinity of Sta. 150 - Sect. 2-B. Section 2B. 1938
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-A, None. Section 2A;. 1938
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-B, None. Section 2B;. 1937
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-D, None. Section 2D;. 1940
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-E, None. Section 2E;. 1939
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-H, None. Section 2H;. None
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-L, None. Section 2L;. None
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-X, None. Section 2X. 1950
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-Y, None. Section 2Y. None
• Land Acquisition Maps Section 2-Z, None. Section 2Z. None
• Land Use Map, The Bluffs. Bluff Park;. 1947
• Land Use Map, Cumberland Knob. Cumberland Knob;. 1946
• Land Use Map, The Bluffs. Bluff Park. 1947
• Land Use Map, Cumberland Knob. Cumberland Knob;. 1946
• Linville River Service Center, None. Section 2J. 1945
• Little Glade Pond Development Plan, Section 2B Station 31+50. Section 2B. 1942
• Little Switzerland Connection, Section 2L Station 342+25. Little Switzerland;. 1938
• Location Plan for Overpass at North Carolina St. H'way #26, Near Sparta - N.C.. Section 2B. 1935
• Lodge, Bluff Park. Bluff Park;. None
• Logical Route for the Southern Portion of the Appalachian Park-to-Park Highway, None. None. 1934
• Mead Timber Lands, Jackson County, NC. Section 2Y. 1956
• Mt. Pisgah Area Planning, None. Little Pisgah;. None
• Natural History Base Map, Sheet 6 of 11, March 1964. None. 1964
• Natural History Base Map, Sheet 7 of 11, March 1964. Pisgah National Forest;. 1964
• Natural History Base Map, Sheet 8 of 11, March 1964. Pisgah National Forest;. 1964
• Natural History Base Map, Sheet 9 of 11, March 1964. Asheville;. 1964
• North Carolina, None. None. circa 1920
• Overlay Showing Lands Appropriated by NC - SHC for Middle Line - Jan. 1965, Grandfather Mt. Lands Map. Section 2H. 1965
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-A, Section 2-A V.A.-N.C. State Line to Route U.S. 21. Section 2A. 1974
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-B, Section 2-B Route N.C. 21 to Route N.C. 18. Section 2B. 1947
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-D, Section 2-D Route N.C. 18 to Route N.C. 16. Section 2D. 1947
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-E, Section 2-E Horse Gap to Deep Gap. Section 2E;. 1947
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-H, Section 2-H Gap ""X"" to Beacon Heights. Section 2H;. 1996
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-L, Section 2-L McKinney Gap to Gooch Gap. Section 2L. 1949
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-X, Section 2X Balsam Gap to Soco Gap. Section 2X. 1965
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-Y, Section 2Y U.S. Route 19 to Big Witch Gap. Section 2Y. None
• Parkway Land Use Map Section 2-Z, None. Section 2Z. 1963
• Parkway Location, Grandfather Mountain - Sec. 2H. Grandfather Mountain;. 1962
• Parkway Location Grandfather Mt., Section 2-H. Section 2H;. Unknown
• Parkway and Local Road Relocation, Station 1190+ to 1210+ Section 2Q. Section 2Q. 1948
• Pilot Knob Development & Trails, Section 2-H - Pilot Knob. Section 2H. 1949
• Pioneer Culture Interpretation, Part of the Master Plan. Asheville. 1952
• Pioneer Culture Interpretation, Developed Area and Utilities Plan - Part of the Master Plan. Asheville. 1953
• Planting Plan - Mt. Pisgah: Parking Area - Lodge, Pky. Sect. 2U. Section 2U. 1966
• Planting Plan for Crabtree Meadows Concession P. Area, Parkway Section 2M. None. None
• Preliminary Layout Plan, Asheville Maintenance Area. Section 2Q. 1946
• Private Residues in Forest Areas, Section 2M. Section 2M. 1938
• Proposed Grandfather Mountain, Part of the Master Plan for Blue Ridge Parkway. Grandfather Mountain. 1940
• Proposed Scenic Parkway through North Carolina, 1934, Blue Ridge Parkway, Route Proposed by North Carolina and Accepted by Secretary Harold L. Ickes. None. None
• Proposed Shenandoah - Great Smoky Mountains National Parkway, None. None. 1934
• Proposed Soco Bald Development, Section 2-Y. Section 2Y. 1959
• Proposed State Road Bypass, Linville - Boone 2G-H. None. None
• Public Road System Plan, Sections 2G and H. Section 2G. 1947
• Public Road System Plan, Section 2V. Section 2V;. 1949
• Public Road System Plan, Section 2R. Section 2R;. 1947
• Public Road System Plan, Section 2-X. Section 2X. 1947
• Qualla and 3200 Acre Tracts, Cherokee Indian Reservation, North Carolina, None. None. 1941
• Regional Map and Grade Crossing Elimination Study, Section 2-L. Section 2L;. 1938
• Regional Sketch Map, Section 2A. Section 2A;. 1935
• Road System Plan 2-W, Section 2W. Section 2W. 1950
• Road and Parking Area, Picnic Area No. 3 - Bluff Park. Bluff Park;. 1937
• Road and Parking Area - Brinegar Cabin, Bluff Park. Bluff Park. 1941
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 10 of 11, French Broad River to Balsam Gap, 2R to 2V. None. None
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 11 of 11, Balsam Gap to Ravensford, 2W to 2Z. None. None
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 6 of 11, State Line to Horse Gap, 2A to 2E. None. None
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 7 of 11, Horse Gap to Beacon Heights, 2D to 2J. None. None
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 8 of 11, Beacon Heights to Buck Creek Gap, 2H to 2M. None. None
• Roads and Trails Maps, Sheet 9 of 11, Buck Creek Gap to French Broad, 2M to 2R. None. None
• Sign Types and Location, Bluff Park. Bluff Park. 1941
• Sign Types and Locations, Sheet 1 of 2, The Bluffs. Bluff Park;. 1948
• Sign Types and Locations, Sheet 2 of 2, The Bluffs. Bluff Park. 1948
• Stable, Bluff Park. Bluff Park;. None
• State Highway System of North Carolina, None. None. 1931
• Study for Development of Shenandoah Great Smoky Mts. Nat'l Parkway, Through the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 1935
• Study for Development of Shenandoah Great Smoky Mts. Nat'l Parkway, Through the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Great Smoky Mountains National Park;. 1935
• Vista and Management Areas, Section 2P through Pisgah National Forest. Section 2P. 1946
• Vista and Management Areas, Section 2M through Pisgah Nat'l Forest. Section 2M. 1946
• Vista and Management Areas, Section 2N-A Balsam Gap to Big Laurel Gap. None. None
• Vista and Management Areas, Section 2N-B Big Laurel Gap to Balsam Gap. None. None