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57-557: The Potomac Highlands broadly overlap but are not identical with the four-state Allegheny Highlands or High Alleghenies region, which includes the relatively high and rugged mountains along and near the Allegheny Front from extreme southern Pennsylvania southward across Maryland and West Virginia into adjacent Virginia . The region's geologic setting and landscape history make the Potomac Highlands one of

114-493: A tundra , with lower temperatures, numerous conifer trees, and large mammals, such as mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Eventually, the climate began to warm up again, the large mammals started to disappear, and the vegetation seen more often today began to flourish. These climatic changes made life more sustainable for the Native Americans. They continued to invent new weapons and made advancements in agriculture until

171-637: A number of Recreation Areas on the Appalachian Plateau, including: Bear Heaven RA, Bickle Knob RA, Big Bend RA, Bird Run RA, Bishop Knob RA, Cranberry RA, Gaudineer Knob RA, Horseshoe RA, Lake Buffalo RA, Laurel Fork RA, Old House Run RA, Pocahontas RA, Red Creek RA, Red Lick RA, Spruce Knob Lake RA, Stuart RA, and Tea Creek RA. The following nine West Virginia counties are included within the Potomac Highlands: Smith, J. Lawrence, The Potomac Naturalist: The Natural History of

228-597: A part of the divide between the Monongahela River and New River portions of the Ohio River watershed. Most of the Allegheny Front is capped by a nearly horizontal, erosion-resistant stratum (rock layer) of white Pottsville conglomerate , sometimes where flat with younger Carboniferous strata on top. The silica -cemented, gravel -containing Pottsville rock formed as part of a vast delta in

285-597: A point north of the Pennsylvania/Maryland boundary where it is offset about 10 miles (16 km) to the east as it changes from the bold escarpment that characterized it west of Altoona to its more gentle rise in Maryland. Across the Mason–Dixon line in Maryland, the front becomes Dans Mountain , west of Cumberland , which reaches 2,895 feet (882 m) at Dan's Rock. Along Maryland's southern border,

342-470: A second level United States physiographic region , covering parts of the states of New York, Pennsylvania , Ohio , Maryland , West Virginia , Virginia , Kentucky , Tennessee , Alabama , and Georgia . The formation of the plateau began during the Paleozoic Era. Regional uplift during this time caused the area to rise altogether without changing the topography of the land. The eastern side of

399-659: Is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains . The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in the United States. The Appalachian Plateau is the northwestern part of the Appalachian Highlands physiographic division of the United States, stretching from New York state to Alabama . The plateau is

456-546: Is estimated that there is around 2,000 species of flora within the Appalachia region. Flowers vary due to elevation and climate of the area of Appalachia region. Different types of flowers in the northern and southern sections of the Appalachia. Flowers such as rhododendron , azalea and mountain laurel can be found in southern regions while up north trees will bear serviceberry , redbud , sourwood , and many others. Fauna such as bison and wolves used to be native to

513-442: Is less clearly unified. Pottsville-capped Spruce Mountain , south and east of Seneca Creek, continues the Allegheny Front's geology southward; this ridge reaches an elevation of 4,863 feet (1,482 m) at Spruce Knob , West Virginia's highest point. Similarly steep escarpments sharing much of the same geologic structure are also present nearby along the eastern slopes of Allegheny Mountain and Back Allegheny Mountain (along with

570-841: Is one of the windiest spots east of the Mississippi , leading to the recent establishment of wind farming there. The Allegheny Front forms part of the Appalachian Structural Front , separating the Appalachian Plateau from the Appalachians' Ridge and Valley Province . The various other escarpments along this structural feature include the Catskill Escarpment to the northeast and the Cumberland Escarpment to

627-573: Is readily accessible by a major road. The front is also a significant part of scenic views from various highways and mountains to its east, such as North Fork Mountain in West Virginia. The NedPower Mount Storm Wind Project in West Virginia includes 132 wind turbines along 12 miles (19 km) of the Allegheny Front in Grant County near Mount Storm . Constructed between 2006 and 2008, it generates up to 264 megawatts of electricity for

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684-404: Is spread over a greater distance (particularly considering stream meanders ) through the Appalachian Plateau to the Ohio River. These contrasting patterns of erosion produce a steep escarpment along much of the front's eastern edge, with the mountains west of the front generally grading more gently into the Appalachian Plateau. The nearly continuous high elevation and clifftop bedrock exposures of

741-634: Is the Upper Silurian evaporate basin , or basin of chemically formed sedimentary rocks. The Plateau fold belt consists of structurally complex Paleozoic strata which were thrust faulted over the younger evaporates. When the Appalachian mountains were formed, the plateau was lifted. Ridges and valleys all die down underneath the plateau. There are multiple valleys throughout the region which consist of exposed areas of limestone and shale. Archaeologists have evidence that Native Americans in

798-417: Is why it is so hard for researchers to determine when they settled in this area. Much like many historic Native American tribes, the early Appalachian inhabitants survived as nomads, following their food on a seasonal basis. Around this period, North America was still recuperating from its last glacial period , and the climate was very different from the present. The climate and habitat more closely resembled

855-945: The Atlantic Ocean . The Allegheny Front and the Eastern Continental Divide do not always coincide; for example, the North Branch of the Potomac River begins well west of the Front, at the Fairfax Stone near the southwestern tip of Maryland, about 10 miles (16 km) and across the actual divide from the headwaters of the Youghiogheny River draining northwards into the Monongahela and Ohio rivers. The Allegheny Front

912-629: The Eastern Continental Divide usually pass within a few miles of the Allegheny Front and in many places coincide with it; this divide between waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico separates the westward-flowing Ohio River watershed from the eastward-flowing watersheds of the Susquehanna , Potomac , and James rivers. Numerous eastward-flowing streams have their headwaters incised into Allegheny Front, displacing

969-706: The Horseshoe Curve track section west of Altoona , so that freight trains could ascend or descend to or from the Allegheny Plateau to the west. Substantial portions of the Allegheny Front's crest and slopes are parts of a national forest (the Monongahela in West Virginia) or various state, local, or private wildlands parks or preserves. The few readily accessible scenic viewpoints atop the Allegheny Front are popular tourist destinations. The Skyline Overlook along U.S. Route 50 in West Virginia

1026-535: The Pennsylvanian Age . The plateau was subjected to glaciation during the Pleistocene ice age . As a result, the topography of this section of the plateau is relatively flat in comparison to the rest of the physiographic province. This portion of the plateau is marked with evidence of a glaciated past including bogs , lakes, and small hills of sand and gravel. The topography of the rest of the plateau

1083-673: The Pennsylvanian period . The region was then uplifted and folded during the Alleghenian orogeny about 320-250 million years ago, during the Carboniferous and Permian periods, forming the modern Appalachian Mountains as the North American and African tectonic plates collided. Subsequent erosion (for more than 200 million years) has preferentially removed various softer surrounding rocks, especially

1140-785: The Allegheny Front is also its southernmost high point, Mount Porte Crayon at 4,770 feet (1,450 m), on the Pendleton / Randolph county line in West Virginia. Its lowest point, 790 feet (240 m), is along the North Branch of the Potomac River near Keyser, West Virginia . Other high points along the front include the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia, a broad, rocky plateau at an elevation of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m); Dan's Rock on Dans Mountain in Maryland at 2,895 feet (882 m); and Blue Knob in northern Bedford County, Pennsylvania , with an elevation greater than 3,120 feet (950 m). Local segments of

1197-445: The Allegheny Front provide an important corridor of upland habitat in the central Appalachian Mountains. During the fall, the Allegheny Front is associated with an important flyway for migratory birds traveling from their northern breeding grounds to their southern wintering sites. In good weather, the birds can be seen from late morning, when they take advantage of the thermals (rising pockets of warm air) to facilitate flying, until

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1254-587: The Allegheny Highlands has been proposed for inclusion as a new unit within the U.S. National Park System . The Fairfax Stone , marking the source of the Potomac River, is along the north edge of the Potomac Highlands, just south of the southern tip of western Maryland. Among notable scenic features or wild areas within the Ridge and Valley portion of the Potomac Highlands are: The George Washington National Forest includes six Recreation Areas within

1311-584: The Appalachia region. Abundant mushroom and lichen can be found including chanterelle , oyster mushroom and rock tripe . The Appalachian Plateau has a vast array of natural resources throughout its rugged landscape. Within these resources, there are many sedimentary substances. In the valleys of the Appalachian Plateau there is an abundance of limestone . This limestone is still mined for cement and aggregate. Due to excessive mining over time, limestone fields are depleted in many areas but some are still relatively plentiful. Ironstone and coal are also among

1368-483: The Appalachian Plateau falls under the classification of Appalachian Highlands because of those similar characteristics. The rock underlying the Appalachian Plateau consists of a base of Precambrian rock, overlain by sedimentary rock from the Paleozoic Era . On top of the basement is a thick layer, approximately 20,000 feet, of a mixture of Cambrian , Ordovician , and Middle Silurian rock. This rock consists of shale , siltstone , and sandstone . Above this layer

1425-428: The Appalachian Plateau region great biodiversity. To the north are many conifers, such as red spruce and balsam fir which can be seen growing at the northernmost latitudes of the Appalachian region. In the northern sections of the plateau at lower elevations you can find northern hardwoods , such as sugar maple and white oak . In southern Appalachia, growth of sycamore , walnut , and hickory trees are common. It

1482-646: The Appalachian Plateau region include the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the Northern Forest Alliance. Ultimately, experts and researchers say the best way to continue protecting the Appalachian region is to incorporate conservation into public education so that people understand and support the benefits of conserving the lands. The Appalachian region is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life due to its vast array of climate and conditions giving

1539-473: The Appalachian region but have vanished. Elk have been reintroduced in some regions, having died out due to overhunting and habitat destruction previously. Throughout all of the Appalachian Plateau region there is an abundance of fox, raccoon, wild boar, black bears, white-tailed deer, and beaver. Researchers also found there to be over 200 species of game and songbirds including wild turkey, heron, geese, hawks, ducks and many more. Fungi are also prominent in

1596-512: The Appalachian region's forest was at full-scale with the invention of the railroad, saw-mills, and clear-cutting of trees. This caused major flooding and wildfires to the region and destroyed keystone species across the region. Realizing that the destruction of the forest was becoming a major issue, the government passed the Weeks Act of 1911, which allowed the federal government to purchase private land in order to protect rivers and watersheds in

1653-598: The Dolly Sods and an overlook along U.S. Route 50 in West Virginia . Since the eastern side of the front is drained by Chesapeake Bay stream that drop fairly rapidly through the Ridge and Valley Province to the low-elevation waters of the Great Appalachian Valley , erosion on the eastern slope of this caprock layer has been much more intense than on the western slope, where drainage to low elevations

1710-596: The Europeans arrived in North America. Europeans settled in North America beginning in the seventeenth century. In 1749, Jacob Martin and Steven Sewell were the first Europeans known to settle the Appalachian Plateau, specifically in what is now Pocahontas County, West Virginia . European colonization and competition with the Native Americans resulted in high mortality due to new diseases, as well as more deaths and social disruption due to warfare. After pushing out

1767-785: The Headwaters of the Historic Potomac (1968), Parsons, West Virginia , McClain Printing Company ; ISBN   0-87012-023-9 ; ISBN   978-0-87012-023-7 38°52′N 79°22′W  /  38.867°N 79.367°W  / 38.867; -79.367 Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania , western Maryland , eastern West Virginia , and western Virginia . The Allegheny Front forms

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1824-566: The Native Americans, the European American settlers developed much of this land for agriculture. From 1861 to 1865, the Appalachian Plateau suffered from the American Civil War , but in comparison to many other parts of the country, little damage was done. During the war, Union forces gained control over a majority of the plateau, and afterwards that possession was not challenged. Only three noteworthy battles occurred in

1881-684: The North Branch of the Potomac River cuts down through the front at 790 feet (240 m) just west of Keyser, West Virginia . South of the Potomac in West Virginia, the front continues through the Mount Storm area, then passes along the eastern edge of Dolly Sods, a wide plateau of Pottsville conglomerate bedrock at about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) elevation. From the Sods, the front continues southward as an increasingly steep escarpment west of

1938-512: The North Fork River to the east, along the front's base. Many of these windswept cliff-edge outcrops are sparsely vegetated, with occasional one-sided ( flagged ) red spruce ( Picea rubens ) trees, and open habitats dominated by various low-growing Appalachian and boreal plant species. The long, steep, nearly continuous, often windswept escarpment of the Allegheny Front has both positive and negative effects on society and culture in

1995-649: The North Fork of the South Branch Potomac River , with the Roaring Plains West Wilderness continuing the high plateaus of the Dolly Sods area along the escarpment's crest. The Allegheny Front's southern end is Mount Porte Crayon (4,770 ft or 1,450 m), after which the land drops steeply to Seneca Creek , west of Seneca Rocks . South of Mount Porte Crayon and Seneca Creek, the Appalachian structural front

2052-673: The Potomac Highlands is within the Allegheny Plateau , with the Allegheny Front 's prominent escarpment providing the boundary between these two areas. While much of the land in the Potomac Highlands is privately owned, large portions of the area are within the Monongahela National Forest , the George Washington National Forest , or various other kinds of parks, preserves, or other managed wild areas. A group of sites within

2109-556: The Potomac Highlands' Ridge and Valley region: Brandywine RA, Camp Run RA, Rock Cliff RA, Shenandoah Mountain RA, Trout Pond RA, and Wolf Gap RA. The Allegheny Front provides the setting for various high, openly vegetated areas atop massive outcrops of the Pottsville sandstone , including: Within the region's three western counties, landscapes of the Appalachian Plateau include such features as: The Monongahela National Forest includes

2166-507: The United States lived in the Appalachian region more than 12,000 years ago; however, it is hard to say exactly when the occupants first inhabited the land. Human artifacts were collected near the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in southern Pennsylvania that were at least 16,000 years old. Because the early Native Americans were hunter-gatherers living off the land, they left little material traces of their lives behind them. This

2223-545: The United States. The Appalachian Plateau is a province of the physiographic region of the Appalachian Highlands . The Appalachian Plateau province is divided into seven physiographic sections: Mohawk, Catskill , Southern New York , Allegheny Mountains , Kanawha , Cumberland Plateau , and the Cumberland Mountains . Each section is classified under the Appalachian Plateau province because of its similarities in geologic makeup, topography, and wildlife. Likewise,

2280-556: The boundary between the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to its east and the Appalachian Plateau (locally called the Allegheny Plateau ) to its west. The Front is closely associated with the Appalachian Mountains ' Eastern Continental Divide , which in this area divides the waters of the Ohio / Mississippi river system, flowing to the Gulf of Mexico , from rivers flowing into Chesapeake Bay and from there into

2337-516: The central Appalachians region. Few roads or railroads cross the Allegheny Front, limiting transportation and communication between the regions to its east and west. Establishing passage of the front was key to the development of the U.S. railroad network during the second half of the 19th century, thereby connecting the Midwest by rail with the Atlantic seaboard . The Pennsylvania Railroad built

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2394-537: The divide westward from the front, including the North Branch of the Potomac River west of Cumberland, Maryland , which originates well into the Appalachian Plateau at the Fairfax Stone, just south of Maryland's southwestern tip. No waterway crosses the front from east to west. The Allegheny Front begins in central Pennsylvania northwest of Lock Haven and extends southwest paralleling Bald Eagle Mountain and Brush Mountain to its east. The front continues to

2451-499: The easily dissolved Greenbrier limestone , leaving areas of the hard Pottsville conglomerate as a caprock protecting softer rock strata immediately beneath. The Pottsville outcrops conspicuously in various more exposed areas along the front's eastern edge. Many of these clifftops offer broad scenic views, unlike most mountaintops within the generally forested Appalachians, and the more readily accessible are popular tourist destinations, including Dan's Rock on Dans Mountain in Maryland and

2508-706: The eastern United States. The first purchase under this act was the Pisgah National Forest . In 1964, the Wilderness Act expanded protections for millions of acres of federal land, such as the Shining Rock and Linville Gorge . The 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act created expanded protected areas in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Today, close to 21% of the region is protected. Conservation groups that are dedicated to preserving

2565-597: The highest peaks located in the Cumberland Mountains. A physiographic region is a large portion of land that is grouped by several factors. Each region has similar geology, topography , and groups of plants and animals. There are eight physiographic regions in the United States . Each region is divided into provinces, there are 25 provinces in the United States. Each region is then divided into sections, creating 85 different physiographic sections in

2622-581: The mid-Atlantic power grid , enough to service about 66,000 homes and businesses. In December 2016, Save Our Allegheny Ridges, a group that opposes energy development on forested mountaintops, said in a news release that Invenergy plans to install a series of wind turbines atop Shaffer Mountain in Somerset County just a few miles north of the Allegheny Front Hawk Watch. Appalachian Plateau The Appalachian Plateau

2679-593: The mines. Among the terrible coal incidents was the Monongah mining disaster of 1907. Protecting the Appalachian Region from damage of human influence has been important in the modern era. Conservationists have been fighting to preserve the wildlife in the Appalachia region . The region has proved that with good care, the flora and fauna can be very resilient. However, back in 1890, the destruction of

2736-526: The most scenic areas within the central Appalachian Mountains . The eastern part of the region is within the Ridge and Valley physiographic province , where long, steep-sided mountain ridges alternate with parallel broad, flat valleys. Water gaps , where rivers or streams have cut through the ridges, are important not only for their dramatic scenery, but also for their utility as easy crossings of these otherwise formidable mountains for roads, railroads, and telephone and telegraph lines. The western portion of

2793-550: The plateau appears as a mountain range. This false appearance is due to a very steep slope on the eastern side known as the Allegheny Front . The eastern edge is the highest part of the Appalachian Plateau. In Pennsylvania , the elevation ranges from 1,750 to 3,000 feet and continues to rise toward West Virginia , where the elevation is around 4,800 feet. From West Virginia to Tennessee , the elevation lowers to 3,000 feet and continues slanting downward to 1,000 feet in Alabama . On

2850-414: The plateau region during the war, so not much of the land was destroyed. After the war, the coal industry boomed. Many counties in the Appalachian Plateau region, such as McDowell County, West Virginia , became dominated by coal mining. Coal mining towns were created, and many immigrants were attracted to the region for work. Although mining was good for the economy, deaths were high in the harsh work of

2907-445: The plentiful natural resources found. In different regions of the Appalachian Plateau, enough plant debris accumulated to form peat, which upon burial, compaction and heating was made into the coal of the Appalachian coalfields. Due to the abundant coal in the Appalachian Plateau, coal mining has been a staple of the area and has proved to be a very successful mining hub. Iron ore was once an extremely abundant natural resource but due to

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2964-559: The southern end of Shavers Mountain ), but these mountains lack the Pottsville caps characteristic of the Allegheny Front. Allegheny Mountain's long, nearly level crest is generally about 4,000 to 4,200 feet (1,200 to 1,300 m) in elevation, with Paddy Knob reaching 4,477 feet (1,365 m). High points on Back Allegheny Mountain and adjacent Shavers Mountain include Gaudineer Knob (4,432 ft or 1,351 m) and Bald Knob (4,842 ft or 1,476 m); these two mountains form

3021-400: The southwest. The Allegheny Front extends for about 180 miles (290 km) southwesterly from south-central Pennsylvania through western Maryland , then divides the eastern panhandle of West Virginia from the rest of that state. The name "Allegheny Front" is applied to the escarpment throughout much of its extent, although it is little used in Maryland. The highest part of the crest of

3078-442: The thermals cease in late afternoon. Among the bird-banding stations and migratory bird observatories associated with this flyway are: In the Dolly Sods Wilderness of West Virginia, and southward toward Mount Porte Crayon, the front is topped for more than 10 miles (16 km) by a broad, nearly flat plateau with many wide areas of exposed bedrock along the edge of the escarpment's 2,800-to-3,200-foot (850 to 980 m) drop to

3135-977: The thin layer of iron, over time it was mostly depleted. A very well-known natural resource of the Appalachian Plateau is its land and soil. The soil is rich and it is ideal for farmland. Within the limestone found throughout the Appalachian Plateau there are many fossilized substances such as old plant and stems, which may help to explain why the plateau also has a rich amount of natural gases and petroleum. The Appalachian Plateau has many landmarks and public spaces to camp out, go hiking, and sight see. Allegany State Park in New York, Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, Cooper's Rock State Forest in West Virginia, and Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia are notable state parks on or along

3192-402: The western side of the plateau, the elevation is 900 feet in Ohio , increasing to about 2,000 feet in Kentucky . From Kentucky the elevation drops down to 500 feet in northwestern Alabama . The plateau has a slight slant towards the northwest, making it higher on the eastern side. A large portion of the plateau is a coalfield, which was formed approximately 320 million years ago during

3249-420: Was created mainly from stream erosion . The result is a rugged landscape, unlike many other plateaus, that includes many narrow stream valleys surrounded by steep ridges. The region in Kentucky is known as the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield . It includes 35 counties and covers around 30% of Kentucky's land. Major sections include the Allegheny Plateau , the Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains , with

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