Appalachian Mountains

[[file:Appalachian Mountains WV Banner.jpg|1280px|Blue Ridge Mountains}} The Appalachian Mountains are a system of mountain ranges running along the eastern coast of North America from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, in the north to Alabama, USA, in the south. Although shorter and less well known than the vast Rocky Mountains in the Western part of the continent and the Appalachians are geologically the oldest North American mountain range. The highest peak in the range is Mount Mitchell, located in North Carolina.

The Appalachian Mountains are a varied destination. Many visit the mountains as day visitors. Some hike all or part of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,174-mile (3,499-km) hike along the main ridges of the mountain range.

An Introduction to the Region of Appalachian Mountains

The range runs through the following U.S. states and Canadian provinces (north to south):

Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador
Quebec

United States

Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York (state) | New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Maryland
West Virginia
Virginia
Kentucky
North Carolina
Tennessee
South Carolina
Georgia (state) | Georgia
Alabama

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Cities

Georgia

Helen
Clayton

Maryland

Cumberland (Maryland) | Cumberland

North Carolina

Boone (North Carolina) | Boone
Asheville

South Carolina

Walhalla (South Carolina) | Walhalla

Pennsylvania

Altoona (Pennsylvania) | Altoona
Scranton
State College

Tennessee

Gatlinburg
Mountain City (Tennessee) | Mountain City
Pigeon Forge

Virginia

Blacksburg
Damascus (Virginia)
Roanoke
Wytheville

West Virginia

Bluefield (West Virginia) | Bluefield
Snowshoe

More Destinations

Great Smoky Mountains National Park vast national park offering scenic ridgeline views of the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains.
Shenandoah National Park one of the most popular touristic destinations in the eastern part of USA known for its over 100-mile drive which offers panoramic mountain views.

About Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachians originally uplifted when the supercontinent Pangaea was forming. The crashing together of the European and African tectonic plates with the North American plate caused enormous mountains to rise. At their peak they were likely higher than the Alps or Rockies today, possibly rivaling the modern Himalayas. Erosion during the Age of Dinosaurs wore the Appalachians down to nearly a flat plain, but subsequent uplift allowed rivers to cut valleys into the ancient rock, forming the modern peaks and valleys that characterize the region.

The mountains served as a barrier to Western migration when Europeans began settling the continent. Except along river valleys and the Great Lakes and there was very little white settlement west of the Appalachians until the beginning of the 18th century. The Erie Canal was dug, in part, to allow goods and travelers to flow more freely across the divide and soon railroads would be laid through tunnels and across bridges to further open up the west.

Then there are those who settled in the mountains. In The South (United States of America) | The South and the mountain dwellers developed a subculture known as Appalachia, or (derisively) "hillbilly". Farther north, in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, anthracite coal deposits led to a strong tradition of coal mining in the hills.

Read

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, published in 1999, offers an entertaining look at the author's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Travel to Appalachian Mountains

Transportation in Appalachian Mountains

What to See

Halal Tours and Excursions in Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian Trail over two million people a year hike a portion of this extensive trail running from Georgia to Maine.