Black Mountain (Kentucky)
Encyclopedia
Black Mountain is the highest natural point in the Commonwealth
of Kentucky
, USA
, with a summit elevation of 4145 feet (1,263.4 m) above mean sea level
and a top to bottom height of over 2500 feet (762 m). The summit is located at 36°54′51"N 82°53′38"W in Harlan County, Kentucky
near the Virginia
border, just above the towns of Lynch, Kentucky
and Appalachia, Virginia
. It is about 500 feet (152.4 m) taller than any other mountain in Kentucky and is one of the tallest mountains in Appalachia
outside the Blue Ridge Mountains
region.
Route 160
east of Lynch, Kentucky
and west of Appalachia, Virginia
crosses the mountain. The summit is reached by a narrow road that turns off to the right (coming from Lynch, KY or to the left, if coming from Appalachia, VA) at the Kentucky-Virginia line (the gap that is the highest part of Route 160) and leads past an FAA
radar dome. There is a one lane dirt road to the left not far past the radar dome that leads to the summit. The summit is marked with an abandoned metal lookout tower, National Geodetic Survey benchmark
(the benchmark is 6 feet below the highest point which is apparently directly under the old lookout tower) and multiple radio towers.
The FAA Radar dome is nearby, but below the summit. Trees on both sides of the radar dome have been cleared, so views of other mountains are visible. On a clear day the Great Smoky Mountains
on the Tennessee
and North Carolina
border are clearly visible.
Black Mountain's history is intimately tied to the coal mining
of the surrounding region. Lynch, Kentucky
, was once one of the largest coal mining towns in the nation. In 1998, Jericol Mining, Inc., petitioned to use mountaintop removal
methods in the area of Black Mountain. Though the summit itself was not directly threatened, many people protested this action due to the peak's status as the state's highest point. In 1999, Kentucky purchased mineral and timber rights to the summit and prevented future large scale mining. Coal companies have alleged that mined coal veins converge beneath the summit of Black Mountain and that the summit is prone to collapse.
A coal company named Penn Virginia Resources
of Radnor, Pennsylvania
owns the summit, but allows public access with the completion of a waiver.
. Numerous rare plants and animals are found here, including Black Bear, Red Elderberry
and Hobblebush. Like many areas of Northern Hardwood Forest in the Southern Appalachia, fires swept through the mountain after intense logging. Black Mountain has a documented fire that occurred in the fall of 1896.
Commonwealth (United States)
Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....
of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a summit elevation of 4145 feet (1,263.4 m) above mean sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and a top to bottom height of over 2500 feet (762 m). The summit is located at 36°54′51"N 82°53′38"W in Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
near the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
border, just above the towns of Lynch, Kentucky
Lynch, Kentucky
There were 408 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone...
and Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Appalachia is located at ....
. It is about 500 feet (152.4 m) taller than any other mountain in Kentucky and is one of the tallest mountains in Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
outside the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
region.
Route 160
Kentucky Route 160
Kentucky Route 160, also known as KY 160, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It runs from the Virginia state line, where the roadway continues east to Appalachia, Virginia as State Route 160, north via Lynch, Benham, Clutts, Cumberland, Sand Hill, Gordon, Linefork, Kings Creek,...
east of Lynch, Kentucky
Lynch, Kentucky
There were 408 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone...
and west of Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia, Virginia
Appalachia is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,839 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Appalachia is located at ....
crosses the mountain. The summit is reached by a narrow road that turns off to the right (coming from Lynch, KY or to the left, if coming from Appalachia, VA) at the Kentucky-Virginia line (the gap that is the highest part of Route 160) and leads past an FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
radar dome. There is a one lane dirt road to the left not far past the radar dome that leads to the summit. The summit is marked with an abandoned metal lookout tower, National Geodetic Survey benchmark
Benchmark (surveying)
The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future...
(the benchmark is 6 feet below the highest point which is apparently directly under the old lookout tower) and multiple radio towers.
The FAA Radar dome is nearby, but below the summit. Trees on both sides of the radar dome have been cleared, so views of other mountains are visible. On a clear day the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
on the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
border are clearly visible.
Black Mountain's history is intimately tied to the coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
of the surrounding region. Lynch, Kentucky
Lynch, Kentucky
There were 408 households out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.1% had someone...
, was once one of the largest coal mining towns in the nation. In 1998, Jericol Mining, Inc., petitioned to use mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal mining is a form of surface mining that requires the removal of the summit or summit ridge of a mountain in order to permit easier access to the coal seams...
methods in the area of Black Mountain. Though the summit itself was not directly threatened, many people protested this action due to the peak's status as the state's highest point. In 1999, Kentucky purchased mineral and timber rights to the summit and prevented future large scale mining. Coal companies have alleged that mined coal veins converge beneath the summit of Black Mountain and that the summit is prone to collapse.
A coal company named Penn Virginia Resources
Penn Virginia
Penn Virginia are three interrelated Radnor, Pennsylvania-based companies that trade separately on the New York Stock Exchange and control 916.4 Bcfe of oil and gas deposits, 827 tons of coal and have 400 million cubic feet per day midstream oil and natural gas pipeline and processing...
of Radnor, Pennsylvania
Radnor, Pennsylvania
Radnor is a wealthy Main Line township. It is an unincorporated community in Radnor Township of Delaware County and Tredyffrin Township of Chester County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It lies near the communities of Villanova and St...
owns the summit, but allows public access with the completion of a waiver.
Ecology
Black Mountain is one of the few sites in Kentucky supporting a Northern Hardwood ForestNorthern hardwood forest
The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central Canada, extending south into the United States in northern New England and New York, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario...
. Numerous rare plants and animals are found here, including Black Bear, Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
Sambucus racemosa is a species of elderberry known by the common name Red Elderberry. It is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and north and central North America. It grows in riparian environments, woodlands, and other habitat, generally in moist areas. This often treelike shrub grows 2 to 6 meters...
and Hobblebush. Like many areas of Northern Hardwood Forest in the Southern Appalachia, fires swept through the mountain after intense logging. Black Mountain has a documented fire that occurred in the fall of 1896.
External links
- Required waiver for summit access Note: The waiver has a drawing that shows the elevation of Black Mountain as 4139 feet (1,261.6 m). As shown on the USGS website http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=KY, this is incorrect. The correct elevation is 4145 feet (1,263.4 m) at the summit. A USGS benchmark is located on a large rock over the hill at 4139 feet (1,261.6 m), but it is not on the summit. The summit is apparently under the old fire lookout tower.
- Black Mountain Recreation Park