Blue Ridge Mountains

The Blue Ridge Mountains (Cherokee: ᏌᎪᏂᎨ ᏣᎴᎩ, Sagonige Tsalegi, "blue mountain ridge") are a beautiful part of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. They stretch for 550 miles (885 km) southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. These mountains are special because they often look blue from far away.

The "blue" color comes from the trees. They release a natural substance called isoprene into the air, which helps create a soft, hazy blue look over the mountains.

Two major national parks are found here: Shenandoah National Park in the north and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south. The Blue Ridge Parkway, a long scenic driving route, connects these parks. It also links up with the famous Appalachian Trail. There are also eight national forests in this area, including George Washington and Jefferson, Cherokee, Pisgah, Nantahala, and Chattahoochee.

Geography

See also: List of mountains of the Blue Ridge and Southern Sixers

The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the larger Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. They stretch for about 550 miles from southern Pennsylvania all the way down through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Some lower ranges nearby are also considered part of the Blue Ridge.

The Blue Ridge has some of the highest mountains in the eastern part of North America. The tallest peak is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, standing at 6,684 feet. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a famous road that winds through these mountains, connecting Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. Along the parkway, you can see special kinds of rocks with colorful patterns.

Geology

The Blue Ridge Mountains are made from very old rocks like granite and volcanic formations that have changed over time. Scientists have studied these rocks to learn more about how they formed and when. These rocks share some features with other mountain ranges in North America but are unique in their own way.

Once, these mountains were among the tallest in the world, as high as the Alps today. But over hundreds of millions of years, wind, rain, and other natural forces have worn them down to their current heights.

History

Long ago, many tribes such as the Siouan Manahoacs, the Iroquois, and the Shawnee lived near the Blue Ridge and used it for hunting and fishing. In 1669, a German explorer named John Lederer was the first to reach the top of the Blue Ridge and wrote down a name for the mountains from the Virginia Siouan people.

Later, in treaties between 1718 and 1722, the Iroquois agreed to give up lands south of the Potomac River and east of the Blue Ridge to the Virginia Colony. This made the Blue Ridge a border between different lands and tribes. When settlers started moving past the Blue Ridge into the Shenandoah Valley in the 1730s, the Iroquois objected and eventually sold their rights to that area in 1744.

Flora and fauna

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to many plants and animals. You can find oak trees, grass, shrubs, and special forests with hemlock and pine trees. The mountains also have many amphibians, reptiles, and fish, including some that live only there.

Animals that live in the Blue Ridge Mountains include the American black bear, songbirds, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, grouse, river otters, whitetail deer, wild boar, wild turkey, and raccoons.

Population centers

The biggest city in the Blue Ridge Mountains is Roanoke in Southwest Virginia. The largest area with many cities and towns is the Greenville metropolitan area in Upstate, South Carolina. Other important cities in the mountains include Charlottesville, Frederick, Hagerstown, Chambersburg, Asheville, Johnson City, and Lynchburg.