Jefferson County High Point Trip Report
16 areas (two natural) on Hardin quadrangle (430+ ft)
Date: August 26, 2001
Author: Hans Haustein
Jefferson County is listed in Andy Martin's County Highpoint Book as having a single highpoint of 440+ feet,
but that point is now buried under a mountain of garbage. So looking at the next lower contour of 430 feet,
sixteen areas were discovered.
I have created a map
showing the sixteen areas.
Area 1 has now been mined away in a gravel operation.
Area 2 is under the landfill.
Area 3 is under the landfill.
Area 4 is located at the gate to the landfill and may be natural;
areas inside the gate look like they have been modified by heavy machinery.
Areas 5-13 are north of Gravel Pit road in a very large disturbed area, none appearing to be natural.
Area 14 is under the landfill.
Areas 15 (Jennings Hill) and 16 (Sanders Hill) are natural and somewhat undisturbed areas.
The highpoint areas are reached by taking Exit 27 on Interstate 530, which is Gravel Pit Road (County Road 4)
and driving west 0.6 miles to German Springs Road. Areas 1 and 2 are located south on German Springs Road.
Continue off Gravel Pit Road for 0.4 miles to a hill top and back entrance to the land fill. Area 4 is
located south of Gravel Pit Road by the landfill gate and Areas 5-12 are located north along the
unimproved dirt road (the entrance to the road is blocked by a bulldozed mound). The landfill is the highest
point in the county and is visible to south of Gravel Pit Road, be sure to look for the turkey vultures roosting
on the summit. Continue west on Gravel Pit Road for 0.6 miles to a white steel gate across the road and
park here.
The road is in International Paper land holdings and is closed now because of illegal dumping. (I guess
people thought the landfill fees were to high and just drove down the road to dump their garbage.)
Mountain Biking is the best way to get to Jennings Hill from this location. Continue on the road for 0.25
mile and take the road to the north, follow this road for 0.75 mile north to the top. While traveling on this
road, it enters a cleared area just below the hill. A dead tree is visible on the hill top that lines up with the
center of the road. The register is located in a section of bark about head high in an opaque film canister on
this tree. The highest area on the hilltop is located east of the road in a wooded area, west of the road has
been mined. I was unable to find the benchmark. There are some pretty good views from this hill top to the
north, west, and south. The KATV tower is visible to the north and the trash mountain is visible to the
south and east.
To reach Sanders Hill drive east on Gravel Pit Road and cross the interstate and continue to Hwy. 365 for
3.1 miles. Drive north on Hwy. 365 for 2.3 miles to a gravel road on the west side of the road to the KETS tower.
There is gate at this road but it was open. Continue west on this road for 0.2 mile to a large white
brick and tin building at the base of the tower. The highpoint area is located just south of this building in a
young pine thicket.