The Appalachian Mountains are the main mountain system of the Eastern United States and Canada. They parallel the Atlantic coast, from the island of Newfoundland to central Alabama, and form a continuous chain of mountain ranges.
The best known smaller ranges in the United States are the White Mountains and Taconic Mountains in New England, the Catskills in New York State, the Blue Ridge Mountains from southern Pennsylvania to Tennessee, and the Great Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Also well known regionally are the Green Mountains of Vermont and the Berkshires of western Massachusetts.
The Appalachian Mountains are a narrow range, only one hundred miles wide. They are covered at all but the highest elevations with forests of mixed hardwoods and softwoods, and contain a number of national forests and national parks.
The highest mountain in the Appalachian Mountains is Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, at 6,684 feet (2,037 meters). The highest mountain in New England is Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, in the White Mountains (Presidential Range), at 6,288 feet (1,917 meters).
The Appalachians are an older mountain range, now thought to have been predominately formed in the Paleozoic age, though some areas have Precambrian or Permian rocks.
The Appalachian Trail, a hiking trail, extends more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) from Maine to Georgia.
The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Smoky Mountains are known for their spring-flowering shrubs, such as the mountain laurel, azalea, and rhododendron which attract many people on touring vacations in late April-early June. The Berkshires and the White Mountains have many trees which turn dramatic colors in October as the weather cools and the region becomes a popular tourist destination at that time of year.
Web Sites
- U.S. Geological Survey
- University of Oregon
- Shenandoah National Park
- Hike the Appalachian Trail (Appalachian Trail Conservancy)
Catalog
Search the library's catalog for Appalachian, Mountaineering and Mountains.
Databases
Enter Appalachian, Mountain Range or Mountain in these databases: