Blue Ridge Mountains Range

Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge, also called Blue Ridge Mountains, is a segment of the Appalachian Mountains in the United States, extending southwestward for 615 mile from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, through parts of Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, to Mt. Oglethorpe, Georgia. The range, a relatively narrow ridge, is 5 to 65 miles wide, with average heights in elevation of 2,000 to 4,000 ft. Included in the Blue Ridge mountains range system are the Black Mountains, the Great Smoky mountains and the Unaka mountains of Eastern Tennessee.

• Maryland Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Western Maryland Mountains
  • Maryland Capital Region
• West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Eastern Panhandle
  • Hatfield-McCoy Mountains
  • Mountain Lakes of West Virginia
  • Mountaineer Country
  • New River Greenbrier Valley
• Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Blue Ridge Highlands
  • Heart of Appalachia
  • Shenandoah Valley
• North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Great Smoky Mountains of NC
  • North Carolina High Country
  • North Carolina Piedmont
  • Western North Carolina
• Tennessee Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Chattanooga and the Southeast Mountains
  • Great Smoky Mountains of TN
  • Knoxville and Middle East Mountains
  • Northeast Tennessee Mountains
• South Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Historical Pendleton District
  • South Carolina Upcountry
• Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Historic High Country of Georgia
  • Northeast Georgia Mountains

 

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Notable Blue Ridge Mountain Peaks

Mt. Rogers 5,729 ft; highest point in Virginia.
Sassafras Mountain 3,560 ft; highest point in South Carolina.
Brasstown Bald 4,784 ft; highest point in Georgia.
Stony Man 4,010 ft and Hawksbill 4,049 ft in Virginia.
Grandfather Mountain 5,964 ft in North Carolina
Mt. Mitchell 6,684 ft, in North Carolina, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.

All of these blue ridge mountain peaks are a great day trip and worth driving to for a visit, taking a hike and exploring the natural attraction. All the peaks are free to the public and have some sort of lookout which are great for pictures or a picnic. For more detailed information on each blue ridge mountain peak please visit the links above.

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The Blue Ridge mountains region has been separated by many small streams, and three major rivers have cut gaps through the ridges—the Roanoke River, The James River, and Potomac River, all in Virginia. Beginning south of Front Royal, Virginia, the Skyline Drive runs through the Shenandoah National Park and connects at Rockfish Gap, Virginia, with the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic motor route that runs south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Blue Ridge mountains lie within Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Nantahala, Pisgah, Jefferson, and George Washington national forests, and more than 700 varieties of trees and plants have been catalogued. The region, although known for its isolation, contains numerous small farms with picturesque log cabins. Intensive truck farming, tobacco production, and cattle raising are important activities. The hardwood forests of the Blue Ridge are a source of timber, and some minerals are worked.