TOPOGRAPHIC MAP EXERCISES - Horseshoe Mountain Quadrangle
Quadrangle Name: HORSESHOE MOUNTAIN, VIRGINIA
Physiographic Region: BLUE RIDGE
This map is located in the Blue Ridge.
- Where is Horseshoe Mountain? Why is it called that?
- What is the contour interval on this map? Name some other mountain peaks and list their
elevations.
- What are some elevations in the valley where Route 151 is located? Take the elevation of
three mountains and three valley sites and calculate the average height of the peaks above
the valley floor.
- How are these mountains different in shape from the mountains of the Ridge and Valley
region?
- Notice the town of Massies Mill along the southwest edge of the map which was devastated
by flooding from Hurricane Camile in 1969. What river does it lie along?
- What do you think the green circles represent in the vicinity of Jonesboro and Massies
Mill?
- A square black dot indicates a house or small building. An empty square indicates an
empty or abandoned building. Find the valley called Freshwater Cove along the southern
edge of the map. How many occupied buildings are there along this valley? How many
abandoned buildings are there?
- Locate and name at least three churches on the map. Notice the population density based
on the number of houses. Do you think these churches have large congregations?
- In Appalachia, the local people frequently call valleys "coves". List the
different coves you can find in the southeastern corner of the map.
- What is the name of the hiking trail which extends from Alabama to Maine which crosses
the northwest corner of the map?
- What national forest is located at the north of the map?
Virginia Topographic Map Exercises Index
Answers
Go to Geography at OUZ