Pine Mountain is a ridge in the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...

 running through Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, 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 Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. It extends about 125 miles from near Jellico, Tennessee

Jellico, Tennessee

Jellico is a city in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,448 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jellico is located at . The city is situated amidst the Cumberland Mountains in the Elk Creek Valley, which runs perpendicular to the Tennessee-Kentucky state line...

, to a location near Elkhorn City, Kentucky

Elkhorn City, Kentucky

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,060 people, 437 households, and 295 families residing in the city. The population density was 525.5 people per square mile . There were 506 housing units at an average density of 250.8 per square mile...

. The highest point is 3,273 feet above sea level, east of Whitesburg, Kentucky

Whitesburg, Kentucky

Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Letcher County.-Culture:...

. It has been a barrier to transportation as the Cumberland River

Cumberland River

The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...

 at Pineville, Kentucky

Pineville, Kentucky

Pineville is a city in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,093 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bell County. It is located on a small strip of land between the Cumberland River and Pine Mountain.-History:...

 is the only stream passing through the entire ridge.

Several parks are located along the ridge, including Pine Mountain State Resort Park

Pine Mountain State Resort Park

Pine Mountain State Resort Park is a park located in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The park opened in 1924 as Kentucky's first state park. Each spring, the park hosts the annual Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, as it has since the festival's inception in 1931.-History:When Pine Mountain...

 and Kingdom Come State Park

Kingdom Come State Park

Kingdom Come State Park is in Kentucky's state park system. It is located in Harlan County near the city of Cumberland and is situated atop Pine Mountain, and boasts both Raven Rock and Log Rock.-Natural Formations:...

, Breaks Interstate Park

Breaks Interstate Park

Breaks Interstate Park, also referred as the "Grand Canyon of the South", is located in southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia at the northeastern terminus of Pine Mountain...

, Kiwanis Raven Rock Park, Kentenia State Forest

Kentenia State Forest

Kentenia State Forest is a United States state forest in Harlan County, Kentucky. It became Kentucky's first state forest in 1919 when the land was donated to the state by the coal company Kentenia-Cantron. The land is scattered across seven tracts on the south side of Pine Mountain.-External links:*...

, Pine Mountain Trail State Park

Pine Mountain Trail State Park

Pine Mountain Trail State Park is a trail under development in U.S. state of Kentucky. Once completed, the trail will wind along Pine Mountain Ridge from the Breaks Interstate Park to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park...

 and the Little Shepherd Trail.

Wildlife is abundant on Pine Mountain. The land is claimed to be the "Black Bear Capital of Kentucky." Black bears

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...

, elk

Elk

The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

, rattlesnakes, deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

, and even cougars are found on Pine Mountain.