Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Botetourt County, Virginia

Carvins Cove

Ghost town in Virginia, United States.

Record

About Carvins Cove

Carvins Cove was a community in both Botetourt and Roanoke County, Virginia, United States, that was abandoned and subsequently inundated in order to create the Carvins Cove Reservoir by the City of Roanoke in the mid–1940s.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Carvins Cove, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Carvins Cove is

USGS topographic map around Carvins Cove
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

14 historic USGS maps cover Carvins Cove

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Carvins Cove

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Virginia index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Carvins Cove, Virginia": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q5047579.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).