Elliott Knob
Encyclopedia
Elliott Knob is one of the highest mountain
s in the northern portions of the U.S. state
of Virginia
. At 4,463 feet (1,360 m), the peak is located on the ridge known as Great North Mountain. A small, naturally growing stand of spruce
trees are on the summit, indicating that the altitude
is just high enough to support tree species normally found hundreds of miles to the north. Otherwise oak
and hickory
trees are the most common types found on the mountain. The mountain is entirely within George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
.
The area around the mountain is inhabited by a wide array of fauna
including Black Bear
s, White-tailed Deer
and the elusive Bobcat
.
A primitive jeep trail
ascends the mountain from the east but it is also closed to public vehicles. The jeep trail is used by the Forest Service
to gain access to a (closed) fire lookout
on the summit and is very steep, rising over 2,000 feet (610 m) in less than 4 miles (6.4 km). The only access for the public is on foot and along with the jeep trail, several other trails can be used to ascend to the top, each averaging 5 miles (8 km) in length and climbing up to 2,300 feet (700 m) from the trailheads. A small grassy cove is on the top and there is a spring
200 yards (200 m) below the summit which flows year round as well as a small man made pond not far from the spring.
Right beside the base of the fire tower there is a National Geodetic Survey triangulation station disk
. The entire firetower structure is enclosed within a fence with barbed wire at the top. However there is evidence of people gaining entry in the form of holes under the fence and loose sections where the fence can be pulled up high enough for a person to crawl under, since the ground is only covered with grass in that area of the summit.
ultramarathon includes the summit of Elliot Knob.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s in the northern portions of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. At 4,463 feet (1,360 m), the peak is located on the ridge known as Great North Mountain. A small, naturally growing stand of spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
trees are on the summit, indicating that the altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
is just high enough to support tree species normally found hundreds of miles to the north. Otherwise oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
trees are the most common types found on the mountain. The mountain is entirely within George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are U.S. National Forests that combine to form one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. They cover of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky...
.
The area around the mountain is inhabited by a wide array of fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
including Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s, White-tailed Deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
and the elusive Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
.
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
ascends the mountain from the east but it is also closed to public vehicles. The jeep trail is used by the Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
to gain access to a (closed) fire lookout
Fire lookout
A fire lookout is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and a good view of the surrounding terrain, to spot smoke caused by a wildfire.Once a possible fire...
on the summit and is very steep, rising over 2,000 feet (610 m) in less than 4 miles (6.4 km). The only access for the public is on foot and along with the jeep trail, several other trails can be used to ascend to the top, each averaging 5 miles (8 km) in length and climbing up to 2,300 feet (700 m) from the trailheads. A small grassy cove is on the top and there is a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
200 yards (200 m) below the summit which flows year round as well as a small man made pond not far from the spring.
Right beside the base of the fire tower there is a National Geodetic Survey triangulation station disk
Benchmark (surveying)
The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future...
. The entire firetower structure is enclosed within a fence with barbed wire at the top. However there is evidence of people gaining entry in the form of holes under the fence and loose sections where the fence can be pulled up high enough for a person to crawl under, since the ground is only covered with grass in that area of the summit.
Recreation
Elliott Knob is a popular day hike of 14 miles (22.5 km) for Boy Scouts who attend Camp Shenandoah. The route for the Grindstone 100 MilerGrindstone 100 Miler
Grindstone 100 miler is an annual 100 mile long ultramarathon that takes place on trails in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, usually the first weekend of October. The race starts at Camp Shenandoah, a local camp of the Boy Scouts of America...
ultramarathon includes the summit of Elliot Knob.