Backbone Mountain
Encyclopedia
Backbone Mountain is a ridge
of the Allegheny Mountains
of the central Appalachian
Mountain Range. It is situated in the U.S. states of West Virginia
and Maryland
and forms a portion of the Eastern Continental Divide
. Its summit is the highest point in the state of Maryland.
near Hambleton
in Tucker County, West Virginia
to the Savage River Reservoir
in Garrett County
, Maryland
.
The mountain provides a boundary between two watersheds. The headwaters of Youghiogheny River
, in the watershed of the Mississippi River
, lie just northwest of the mountain, whereas the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River
lie just south of the mountain, along the West Virginia
-Maryland
border.
The ridge is crossed by twice U.S. Route 219
, once north of Parsons
and again near Silver Lake
. It is also crossed by U.S. Route 50
east of Red House, Maryland
, which is marked by a Maryland State Highway Administration
sign.
. The location, named for Captain Charles Hoye, founder of the Garrett County
Historical Society, has a marker and offers a view of the North Branch Potomac River valley to the east. The location is accessible via a path leading from U.S. Route 219
to the west.
's first fire tower. The first tower was built in 1922 by the state and subsequently transferred to Monongahela National Forest
. In 1963, the original tower was replaced with the one currently on-site and named after Ernest B. Olson in recognition of 28 years of service in MNF fire control and conservation programs.
While the cab of the tower is not open to the public, the 133 steps leading to it are. The tower provides spectacular views of the areas including Cheat River
watershed, Parsons
, Blackwater Canyon
, Canaan Mountain and the Otter Creek Wilderness
.
. It constitutes Maryland's largest surviving remnant of old-growth forest: over 500 acres (2 km²) of mixed Appalachian hardwoods (sugar maple
, red oak, basswood
and cucumber tree).
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
of the central Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
Mountain Range. It is situated in the U.S. states of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and forms a portion of the Eastern Continental Divide
Eastern Continental Divide
The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial...
. Its summit is the highest point in the state of Maryland.
Description and geography
Backbone Mountain stretches approximately 39 miles (62.8 km) southwest to northeast, from the Black ForkBlack Fork (Cheat River)
The Black Fork is a principal tributary of the Cheat River in eastern West Virginia in the United States. It is a short stream, about four miles in length,The American Rivers Outstanding Rivers List, Second Edition, May 1991. Compiled and edited by Matthew H. Huntington and John D. Echeverria. ...
near Hambleton
Hambleton, West Virginia
Hambleton is a town in Tucker County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 246 at the 2000 census. Hambleton was established in 1889, but not incorporated until 1905. It was named by then United States Senator Stephen B. Elkins in honor of a stockholder by this name in the West Virginia...
in Tucker County, West Virginia
Tucker County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,321 people, 3,052 households, and 2,121 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile . There were 4,634 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
to the Savage River Reservoir
Savage River Reservoir
The Savage River Reservoir is a storage reservoir in northwest Maryland. It was completed in 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who also currently maintain it. The reservoir was formed by the Savage Dam which impounds the Savage River...
in Garrett County
Garrett County, Maryland
Garrett County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. Created from Allegany County, Maryland in 1872 it was the last Maryland county to be formed. It was named for John Work Garrett , railroad executive, industrialist, and financier. Garrett served as president of the Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
The mountain provides a boundary between two watersheds. The headwaters of Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
, in the watershed of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, lie just northwest of the mountain, whereas the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
lie just south of the mountain, along the West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
-Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
border.
The ridge is crossed by twice U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
, once north of Parsons
Parsons, West Virginia
The town of Parsons is the county seat of Tucker County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 1,463 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Parsons is Dorothy Judy and the city administrator is Jason Myers...
and again near Silver Lake
Silver Lake, West Virginia
Silver Lake is an unincorporated community in Preston County, West Virginia, United States. Silver Lake is located along U.S. Route 219 north of Thomas....
. It is also crossed by U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
east of Red House, Maryland
Red House, Maryland
Red House is an unincorporated community in Garrett County, Maryland, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 219 near the West Virginia state line....
, which is marked by a Maryland State Highway Administration
Maryland State Highway Administration
The Maryland State Highway Administration is the state agency responsible for maintaining Maryland numbered highways outside of Baltimore City...
sign.
Hoye-Crest
Located just inside of Maryland along Backbone Mountain is Hoye-Crest. At an elevation of 3360 feet (1,024.1 m), it is the highest point in the state of MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The location, named for Captain Charles Hoye, founder of the Garrett County
Garrett County, Maryland
Garrett County is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland. Created from Allegany County, Maryland in 1872 it was the last Maryland county to be formed. It was named for John Work Garrett , railroad executive, industrialist, and financier. Garrett served as president of the Baltimore...
Historical Society, has a marker and offers a view of the North Branch Potomac River valley to the east. The location is accessible via a path leading from U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
to the west.
Olson Observation Tower
The southern end of Backbone Mountain was the location of West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
's first fire tower. The first tower was built in 1922 by the state and subsequently transferred to Monongahela National Forest
Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
. In 1963, the original tower was replaced with the one currently on-site and named after Ernest B. Olson in recognition of 28 years of service in MNF fire control and conservation programs.
While the cab of the tower is not open to the public, the 133 steps leading to it are. The tower provides spectacular views of the areas including Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...
watershed, Parsons
Parsons, West Virginia
The town of Parsons is the county seat of Tucker County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 1,463 at the 2000 census. The mayor of Parsons is Dorothy Judy and the city administrator is Jason Myers...
, Blackwater Canyon
Blackwater Canyon
Blackwater Canyon is a rugged, heavily-wooded, eight-mile long gorge carved by the Blackwater River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA...
, Canaan Mountain and the Otter Creek Wilderness
Otter Creek Wilderness
The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain and Shavers Mountain in Tucker County and Randolph County,...
.
Crabtree Woods
Crabtree Woods, on the northwest slopes of Backbone Mountain, is in the Potomac-Garrett State ForestPotomac-Garrett State Forest
Potomac-Garrett State Forest is a state forest in the state of Maryland.-External links:*...
. It constitutes Maryland's largest surviving remnant of old-growth forest: over 500 acres (2 km²) of mixed Appalachian hardwoods (sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
, red oak, basswood
Tilia americana
Tilia americana is a species of Tilia native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Texas, and southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to Cherry County, Nebraska...
and cucumber tree).
See also
- List of tallest mountains of U.S. states
- Blackwater CanyonBlackwater CanyonBlackwater Canyon is a rugged, heavily-wooded, eight-mile long gorge carved by the Blackwater River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA...
- Monongahela National ForestMonongahela National ForestThe Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...