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29-622: Mauch Chunk Ridge (on older USGS Maps) or Mauch Chunk Mountain is a historically important barrier ridgeline north of the Blue Mountain escarpment and 3rd parallel ridgeline south of the Nesquehoning Creek after Nesquehoning Mountain and Pisgah Ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians of Northeastern Pennsylvania . The three lengthy ridges and two valley formations together are literally

58-638: A physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands division. The physiographic province is divided into three sections: the Hudson Valley, the Central, and the Tennessee. The river valleys were areas of indigenous settlements for thousands of years. In the historic period, the Cherokee people had towns along many of the rivers in western South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as on

87-685: A broad arc between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau physiographic province, which includes the Allegheny and Cumberland plateaus. They are characterized by long, even ridges , with long, continuous valleys in between. The Valley and Ridge Province was formed during the Alleghanian orogeny , a mountain-building event that occurred between 325 and 260 million years ago. The rocks in

116-399: A succession of near parallel ridgelines, where each are made by a succession of peaks of nearly the same height. This Ridge and Valley province is a geological feature that extends from New Jersey into Virginia forming a great barrier of successive valleys. Pisgah Mountain-just across the valley and creek, is located along the southern fringe of northeastern Pennsylvania's Poconos region but

145-564: A view of the surrounding countryside, and particularly of the Lehigh River gap about 1,200 feet (366 m) feet (or more) below. Mauch Chunk Lake Park and Mauch Chunk Reservoir are also located at the base of the mountain in the valley it forms with Mauch Chunk Mountain, a similar ridgeline in the ridge-and-valley Appalachians north of PA-Rt 443 . At the Mauch Chunk-Bear Mountain Gap east of Jim Thorpe,

174-718: Is also central to the Southern Anthracite Region of Pennsylvania— known as the site of the Richest Anthracite Seam , in the heart of the Southern Pennsylvania Anthracite Field and the geological province known as the Anthracite Upland section . The ridgeline parallels the escarpment of the Blue Mountain region. The mountain ridge's peaks lie between two nearly parallel ridge lines to

203-696: The Allegheny Front , the Cumberland Mountains , and Walden Ridge . The Valley and Ridge is located on the west side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Province extends from southeastern New York in the north through northwestern New Jersey , westward into Pennsylvania through the Lehigh Valley , and southward into Maryland , West Virginia , Virginia , Kentucky , Tennessee , Georgia , and Alabama . They form

232-610: The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) which succeeded the Lehigh and Susquehanna founded by LC&N Co. which owned most of the eastern part of the area, stay on in a hotel owned by the LC&;N, eat at restaurants and buy from shops owned in part by the LC&N, and see the sights after the long mule-pulled four hour trip up to Summit Hill, which featured other tourist services and a 100 foot observation tower. The views from

261-773: The Ohio Country , and later the Northwest Territory and Oregon Country . In the era when animal power dominated transportation, there was no safe way to cross east–west in the middle of the range; crossing was only possible nearer its extremes except for a few rough passages opened mid-range during the colonial era, including Cumberland Gap , Braddock's Road , and Forbes Road . These were later improved as America's first National Roads, including Wilderness Road , Cumberland Road , Lincoln Highway , designated as U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 30 in later years. Early settlers of Ohio Country tended to enter it via

290-664: The Ohio River ; river systems were the most important transportation corridors. It was difficult in the late 19th and 20th centuries to construct railroads and modern highways through this area. The eastern head of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by the Great Appalachian Valley , which lies just west of the Blue Ridge . The western side of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by steep escarpments such as

319-546: The Mauch Chunk Creek valley . The ridge forms the right bank drainage divide on the south and the streams source in the west. The west end of the ridge is named TBDL Geologically, the Mauch Chunk Ridge divide is classed as of minor degree, the watersheds north and south of the ridge enter the same body, the Lehigh , and do so only a few miles apart The Mountain is but one average folded mountain in

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348-531: The boundary between the Great Appalachian Valley and the main Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians . Four of Pennsylvania's major rivers cut through Blue Mountain in water gaps : The Pennsylvania Turnpike system passes through Blue Mountain at two points: Ridge-and-valley Appalachians The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians , are

377-578: The first ridges and valleys just south of the Poconos on the opposite side of the Lehigh River —geological formations which contain some of the richest Anthracite coal bearing sedimentary rocks of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Historically, the first Anthracite mines in America were located atop Pisgah Mountain at Summit Hill and caravanned by pack mule through the Mauch Chunk Creek valley. Then

406-562: The historic Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad , the second railway in North America was built along the Pisgah Mountain side of the same valley—and become quite a tourist attraction and is known as the world's first roller coaster, and would inspire others in purpose built amusement parks. The Mauch Chunk and Summit Hill Switchback Railroad became only a tourist road in the 1890s and thrilled riders until it

435-692: The lines of the more easily eroded strata. A few major rivers, including the Delaware River , the Susquehanna River , the New River , and the Potomac River , are older than the present mountains, having cut water gaps that are perpendicular to hard strata ridges. The evidence points to a wearing down of the entire region to a low level with little relief, so that major rivers were flowing in unconsolidated sediments unaffected by

464-573: The mountain is at Big Gap, west of Shippensburg . The mountain ridge continues to the southwest toward Maryland as Broad Mountain. The northeastern end of the mountain is at the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey border. Mount Minsi , elevation 1,461 feet (445 m), forms the promontory overlooking the Delaware River . The ridge of Blue Mountain continues northeast into New Jersey as Kittatinny Mountain . Blue Mountain marks

493-413: The north and south, Nesquehoning Mountain a similar ridge extending north from Mount Pisgah where the two are joined, and to the south across a valley formed by Mauch Chunk Creek , the Mauch Chunk Ridge. The former historic Mauch Chunk & Summit Hill Railway is now a combined bike & hiking trail along both its former paths, and the north trail has an offshoot to the summit of Mount Pisgah that has

522-483: The northern or western horizon. Most transport corridors and road beds piercing the barrier necessarily pass through large water gaps , including (west to east) the Susquehanna , Schuylkill , Lehigh and Delaware River valleys or wind gaps , low gaps in the ridge caused by ancient watercourses. The barrier ridge forms a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions. To

551-707: The range ends rapidly descending to the Lehigh River Valley below the northeastern summit marked on USGS topological maps as Mt. Pisgah , which is named for the biblical mountain in Jordan from which Moses first saw the promised land (as are many mountains around the world and especially in the United States). During the late 19th century and early 20th-century, this mountain was a favorite summer resort for those from eastern cities, even as far away as New York City for it sported what has been called

580-458: The region were subjected to immense pressure and heat, causing them to deform and fold. The softer parts of these rock units (chiefly shale and limestone) were eroded to form the valleys and the harder parts of the folds (quartzites) formed the mountain tops and ridges. The ridges represent the edges of the erosion-resistant strata, and the valleys portray the absence of the more erodible strata. Smaller streams have developed their valleys following

609-793: The ridgeline. Blue Mountain School District , which is named after the mountain range, is located just off PA Route 61 in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania . The ridge of Blue Mountain runs for 150 miles (240 km) through Pennsylvania , reaching an elevation of 2,270 feet (690 m) above sea level just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike , near the borough of Newburg . Most of the ridgecrest, however, only reaches between 1,400 and 1,700 feet (430 and 520 m) in elevation. The mountain's width varies from 1 to 3 miles (1.6 to 4.8 km). The southwestern end of

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638-636: The south of the Susquehanna River gap in the south-central part of the state is the Cumberland Valley , part of the Great Appalachian Valley ; to its northwest side are the southern reaches of the Susquehanna Valley with picturesque streams channeling travel corridors deep into and over the central and western mountains and valleys—the heartland interior counties of Pennsylvania; along the Main Branch Susquehanna ,

667-778: The tower looked over the bucolic Pennsylvania landscape between the Nesquehoning Ridge and Pisgah Mountain on the North side, and Pisgah and the Mauch Chunk Range on the south valley. The saddle pass between the northern ridges topped by Summit Hill, and Lansford, Pennsylvania generated the springs and run off of Panther Creek which runs nearly due west into the Little Schuylkill River at Tamaqua, Pennsylvania which path eventually allowed conventional steam powered rail trackage to be built into

696-471: The valley after a convoluted and lengthy path around and between Nesquehoning Ridge and Broad Mountain via Delano Junction , a railroad nexus still in use today. 41°48′35″N 76°42′57″W  /  41.80984°N 76.71591°W  / 41.80984; -76.71591 Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania) Views of Blue Mountain dominate the southern tier of most eastern and central Pennsylvania counties, providing an ever-visible backdrop cutting across

725-707: The valleys also lead into the Coal Region of northeast Pennsylvania, the Wyoming Valley , and the distant Poconos . To the south of Blue Mountain lies the Capital Region of Harrisburg and nearby communities, the rich farming country of the Lebanon Valley and Pennsylvania Dutch Country of York and Lancaster counties, the lower half of the Lehigh Valley , and the lower Delaware Valley , both of which extend north through water gaps beyond

754-406: The water transport available on the Lehigh River at what is now Packerton, Pennsylvania . A number of early pack mule routes traveled in part along the north faces of the mountain's long ridgeline (12.5 miles (20.1 km)) from Summit Hill and points west. The ridge is a succession of peaks exceeding 1,501 feet (457.5 m) looming 300–540 feet above the rural bedroom communities now along in

783-654: The western side of the Appalachian Mountains in present-day Tennessee. Similarly, the Catawba people occupied areas along the upper Catawba River in Western North Carolina , to the east of Cherokee County . The ridge and valley system presents an important obstacle to east–west land travel even with today's technology. It was a nearly insurmountable barrier to European-American migrants who walked or rode horses traveling west to settle

812-569: The world's first roller coaster, the gravity railroad founded in 1827 by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company , builders of the Lehigh Canal and the tourist attracting Mauch Chunk & Summit Hill Railway , which formed a loop between South Mauch Chunk (now the south part of Jim Thorpe, PA) and Summit Hill, Pennsylvania , the site of the first high volume coal production in the greater region. Visitors were able to travel by rail via

841-539: Was liquidated in the 1930s, a casualty of the Great Depression . The north slopes of the long series of worn peaks feed the minor tributary Mauch Chunk Creek 's mouth which opens out easterly into the Lehigh River , and where from ca. 1792 on through its valley, pack mule trails—then North America's second ever rail road — enabled the output of the first coal mines of the southern Anthracite region at Summit Hill, Pennsylvania to be conveyed to

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