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North Mountain (Virginia-West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
North Mountain is a mountain
ridge
within the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
in the U.S. states of Virginia
and West Virginia
.
in the north to the community of Green Spring
in Frederick County
, Virginia in the south. The ridge is divided into two sections; the north and south spans. The north span consists of the portion of the ridge from the Potomac to the town of Hedgesville
, West Virginia, which lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the south within Skinners Gap in between the mountain's two spans. The northern span is characterized by lower elevations, its highest point is 920 feet (280.4 m) just north of Hedgesville, and numerous gaps at valley floor elevations. The southern span consists of the remaining 20 miles (32.2 km) of ridge line and is noticeably higher in elevation, containing the mountains highest point of 1673 feet (509.9 m) above sea-level at its Roundtop summit near Arden
in Berkeley County
, West Virginia. The southern section also contains many gaps, but all are several hundred feet above the valley floor. Back Creek Valley lies to the mountain ridge's west and the Shenandoah Valley
to its east. Back Creek owes its name to North Mountain, as early settlers in the eighteenth century referred to the stream as to the "back" of the ridge when approaching it from the east.
, North Mountain has also widely been known as Great Ridge and Little North Mountain, when in comparison to the much larger Great North Mountain
to the south.
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...
ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
within the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
in the U.S. states 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...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Geography
North Mountain spans 23.5 miles (37.8 km) from the Potomac RiverPotomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in the north to the community of Green Spring
Green Spring, Frederick County, Virginia
Green Spring is an unincorporated community in northern Frederick County, Virginia, United States of America. Green Spring lies on the southern flank of North Mountain along Green Spring Run, a tributary stream of Back Creek...
in Frederick County
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, Virginia in the south. The ridge is divided into two sections; the north and south spans. The north span consists of the portion of the ridge from the Potomac to the town of Hedgesville
Hedgesville, West Virginia
Hedgesville is a town in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 240 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hedgesville was laid out in 1832 along the old Warm Springs Road and named for the prominent local Hedges family...
, West Virginia, which lies 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the south within Skinners Gap in between the mountain's two spans. The northern span is characterized by lower elevations, its highest point is 920 feet (280.4 m) just north of Hedgesville, and numerous gaps at valley floor elevations. The southern span consists of the remaining 20 miles (32.2 km) of ridge line and is noticeably higher in elevation, containing the mountains highest point of 1673 feet (509.9 m) above sea-level at its Roundtop summit near Arden
Arden, Berkeley County, West Virginia
Arden is an unincorporated hamlet located between Martinsburg and Inwood in Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the United States. Arden is the location of a number of historic sites including the Arden United Methodist Church, Trinity Church, and Ar-Qua Springs, which is listed on the National...
in Berkeley County
Berkeley County, West Virginia
Berkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
, West Virginia. The southern section also contains many gaps, but all are several hundred feet above the valley floor. Back Creek Valley lies to the mountain ridge's west and the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
to its east. Back Creek owes its name to North Mountain, as early settlers in the eighteenth century referred to the stream as to the "back" of the ridge when approaching it from the east.
Variant names
According to the Geographic Names Information SystemGeographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, North Mountain has also widely been known as Great Ridge and Little North Mountain, when in comparison to the much larger Great North Mountain
Great North Mountain
Great North Mountain is a long mountain range within the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. The range is located west of the Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain in Virginia, and east of the Allegheny Mountains and Cacapon River in West...
to the south.
Summits, knobs and gaps
Although North Mountain is a continuous mountain ridge, it is made up of a number of summits, knobs and gaps with individual names. These are listed from north to south.- Potato Hill, 787 feet (239.9 m)
- Skinners Gap, 640 feet (Hedgesville, West VirginiaHedgesville, West VirginiaHedgesville is a town in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 240 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hedgesville was laid out in 1832 along the old Warm Springs Road and named for the prominent local Hedges family...
) - High Knob, 938 feet (285.9 m)
- Parks Gap, 1,100 feet (Dry Run Road)
- Boyds Gap, 1,480 feet (Tuscarora Pike)
- Roundtop, 1673 feet (509.9 m)
- Mills Gap, 1,180 feet (Apple Harvest Drive and Gerrardstown Road)
- Dutton Gap, 1,290 feet