Maggoty Gap

Maggoty Gap
Location in Virginia
Elevation	1,125 ft (343 m)
Traversed by	State Road 677 – Willow Branch Road
Location	Roanoke county, Virginia, United States
Range	Blue Ridge Mountains
Coordinates	37°09′22″N 79°58′19″W / 37.156°N 79.972°W / 37.156; -79.972Coordinates: 37°09′22″N 79°58′19″W / 37.156°N 79.972°W / 37.156; -79.972

The original Maggoty Gap was a wind gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the counties of Roanoke, Virginia and Franklin, Virginia. Over time, as roads were improved and relocated, the identified location of the gap moved with them. It is now mapped at a spot in Roanoke County.

"Maggoty Gap" is now named at a location approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Roanoke, Virginia and 12 miles (19 km) north-northwest of Rocky Mount, Virginia at an elevation of 1,125 feet (343 m).

The present identified location of Maggoty Gap (or Willow Branch Gap) on topographic maps is at 37.156°N 79.972°W, which is actually inside the Back Creek watershed, not at the ridge line. But State Road 677 does pass through it (under a railroad trestle) to the highway (US-220) leading to the true ridge line at "Murray Gap", which separates the Maggodee Creek watershed from the Back Creek watershed. This route connects Starkey, Virginia and Boone's Mill, Virginia. An alternate route is State Road 613 (Merriman Rd. & Naff Rd.) through the "Simmonds Gap".

There are also two unimproved ridge line gaps between Simmonds Gap and Murray Gap that lead south to Maggodee Creek. These are reached from Starkey, Virginia via Starlight Road (State Road 615) and Boone's Chapel Road (State Road 614). One is at the end of Boone's Chapel Road where a Jeep trail crosses the Franklin County line at a pipeline and descends to State Road 613 adjacent to the Maggodee Creek bridge. The other is at the end of Wild Turkey Road (branching southwest from Boone's Chapel Road) and passing just below and east of Milner Place, where it crosses the Franklin County line and descends to Maggodee Creek at the junction of State Road 852 (Guthrie Rd.) and State Road 613.

"Maggoty Gap" describes a natural gateway of the Great Wagon Road (locally known as The Carolina Road) that made it possible for wagons and livestock traffic to pass through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Roanoke, Virginia near Maggoty Creek (now called Maggodee Creek). It carried enormous amounts of traffic in the late 18th century and much of the 19th century until a railroad was extended over the ridge in 1892. During the years from 1760 to 1776 it was said to be the heaviest traveled road in all of America.