Blue Knob (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
Blue Knob is a Pennsylvania
summit with a broad dome that is the most northern of the 3,000 footers in the range of Allegheny Mountains
. The mountain covers 5874 acres (23.8 km²) of Blue Knob State Park
and contains approximately 18 miles (29 km) of hiking trails and numerous overlooks. A ski area is located on the mountain's north slopes. The towns of Johnstown
, Altoona
and Bedford
are located within 25 miles (40.2 km) of the mountain. The towns of Pavia
and Claysburg
lie at the foot of the mountain.
Herman Point
3,034 feet (925 m),
Spruce Knob 2,475 feet (754 m),
Round Knob 2,791 feet (851 m),
Cattle Knob 2,842 feet (866 m),
Pine Knob
2,704 feet (824 m),
Ritchey Knob
2,865 feet (873 m) and
Schaefer Head
2,950 feet (899 m)
Summits to the north include; Brush Mountain (17 miles), Schaefer Head
(2.5 miles) and the other satellite peaks listed above, the Allegheny Front, The "Loop" in Tussey Mountain
(27 miles) and Lock Mountain (13 miles).
To the east the views are of Dunning Mountain (7 miles), Tussey Mountain
(16 miles), Jacks Mountain
with Butler Knob
(31 miles), Sideling Hill
(28 miles), and on the distant horizon Big Mountain
(41 miles) and the Tuscarora Mountain
Ridge. To the south; Wills Mountain
(32 miles), Savage Mountain
(28 miles) and Bald Knob on the Allegheny Front (20 miles). The town of Bedford is hidden by Kinton Knob
(18 miles).
The views west include Laurel Hill
and the Conemaugh Gorge (22 miles) and the Allegheny Plateau
.
Drainages: A few of the major streams are Big Lick Branch, Rhodes Run, Pavia Run, Deep Hollow Run, Scubgrass Creek, Beaverdam Creek and Little Beaverdam Creek. Bob's Creek which is in the valley below the mountain is a "Class A" trout stream and popular among local fisherman. Adjacent to the mountain on the Allegheny Front are Big Break Hollow and Wallacks Branch, portions of these streams are located within the State Park boundary.
from the rest of the Allegheny Front
and form some of the highest elevations in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains.
Blue Knob is separate from the rest of the Allegheny Front
escarpment
, and the mountain's lower base is made up of siltstone
and shale
of the Devonian
Catskill and Devonian
-Mississippian Rockwell formations. The upper slopes and summit
are made up of the buff-colored Mississippian Burgoon Formation of sandstone
and conglomerate
, which is far more resistant to weathering than the underlying shale
and siltstone
. The rocks near the summit have a bluish-green appearance, giving Blue Knob its name.
). In the 1950s the summit was cleared of vegetation and was the location of Claysburg Air Force Station
until it was deactivated in 1961. Shortly afterward the Blue Knob Ski area was developed. Signs from the former station remain on the summit and one buildings remains as a ski lodge. Ski lifts, a ski lodge and a couple of maintenance structures occupy the broad summit of Blue Knob; and a few ski chalets are downhill of the bald summit.
Blue Knob's weather can be attributed to its aspect
and elevation. The mountain rises approximately 500 + feet above the plateaus to the west. The prevailing winds
hit the mountain's slopes, accelerating up and over its bald summit. It is these conditions that can cause wind chill
factors to dip below zero during the winter months.
Eastern Hemlock trees are located along streams of the mountain's lower slopes, and the drier east and southeast face of the mountain is predominately Red and White oak and maple mix, with grapevines and some exotic invasive species where there are holes in the canopy. While the north and western face of the mountain contain Tulip poplar, American Beech
and other associated hardwoods due to the richer soils. The upper slopes of the mountain have Black Cherry, Striped Maple
, Scrub Oak
and a forest floor of Blueberry
and Fern
. Over the 3000 feet (914.4 m) contour the trees are distinctively stunted due to the winds and fierce weather.
In September 2004, during Hurricane Ivan
, strong winds called derecho
s streamed through the saddle between Herman Point and Blue Knob, leveling trees on the ridges that abut the mountain. Many of the larger trees were blown down like match sticks, opening great holes in the forest canopy. The park conducted salvage efforts to remove wood from the park and reopen trails and camp areas.
is abundant on the slopes of Blue Knob. Species such as white-tailed deer
, ruffed grouse
, turkey
, coyote
, porcupine
and fox
are difficult to see but finding their tracks in the snow is not uncommon. Black bear
is another resident on the mountain and are more likely to be seen during the early morning and evening hours. Red-tailed hawks, warblers, vireos and songbirds are found here throughout the seasons.
Adjacent to the State Park is the 11926 acres (48.3 km²) Pennsylvania State Game Lands
No. 26. This area combined with the park is an area over 17000 acres (68.8 km²) of public land. There are a few areas in Blue Knob State Park which are closed to hunting (see park map). Hikers need to be extremely careful during the hunting season in late November and through December.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
summit with a broad dome that is the most northern of the 3,000 footers in the range of 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...
. The mountain covers 5874 acres (23.8 km²) of Blue Knob State Park
Blue Knob State Park
Blue Knob State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kimmel, Lincoln, and Pavia townships in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The average annual snowfall at the park is about . The park is named for Blue Knob, the second highest mountain in Pennsylvania at . It is the location...
and contains approximately 18 miles (29 km) of hiking trails and numerous overlooks. A ski area is located on the mountain's north slopes. The towns of Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
, Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
and Bedford
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
are located within 25 miles (40.2 km) of the mountain. The towns of Pavia
Pavia Township, Pennsylvania
Pavia Township is a township in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 22.0 square miles , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were...
and Claysburg
Claysburg, Pennsylvania
Claysburg is a census-designated place along Interstate 99 and the Allegheny Front near the base of Blue Knob .-Demographics:...
lie at the foot of the mountain.
Geography
The satellite peaks of Blue Knob include:Herman Point
Herman Point
Herman Point is a satellite of Blue Knob mountain in Pennsylvania and one of the few summits in the state which exceed feet. This summit is located in the Blue Knob State Park and serves as the trailhead for the "Lost Turkey Trail". Herman Point is also the site of FAA towers and the old fire...
3,034 feet (925 m),
Spruce Knob 2,475 feet (754 m),
Round Knob 2,791 feet (851 m),
Cattle Knob 2,842 feet (866 m),
Pine Knob
Pine Knob (Pennsylvania)
Pine Knob is a peak in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. This mountain is a satellite peak of its larger neighbor Blue Knob. At above sea level it is the lesser in elevation when compared to Schaefer Head , Round Knob , Cattle Knob and Ritchey Knob...
2,704 feet (824 m),
Ritchey Knob
Ritchey Knob
Ritchey Knob is a summit located on the Blue Knob massif. This mountain is connected to Pine Knob and forms the northern most summits of the massif....
2,865 feet (873 m) and
Schaefer Head
Schaefer Head
Schaefer Head is a mountain in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. It is one of the peaks that make up the Blue Knob massif an isolated group of mountains that stand apart from the Allegheny Front. Schaefer Head is the third highest of these peaks behind Blue Knob 3,146 feet ,and...
2,950 feet (899 m)
Summits to the north include; Brush Mountain (17 miles), Schaefer Head
Schaefer Head
Schaefer Head is a mountain in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. It is one of the peaks that make up the Blue Knob massif an isolated group of mountains that stand apart from the Allegheny Front. Schaefer Head is the third highest of these peaks behind Blue Knob 3,146 feet ,and...
(2.5 miles) and the other satellite peaks listed above, the Allegheny Front, The "Loop" in Tussey Mountain
Tussey Mountain
]Tussey Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending east of the Bald Eagle, Brush, Dunning and Evitts Mountain ridges...
(27 miles) and Lock Mountain (13 miles).
To the east the views are of Dunning Mountain (7 miles), Tussey Mountain
Tussey Mountain
]Tussey Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending east of the Bald Eagle, Brush, Dunning and Evitts Mountain ridges...
(16 miles), Jacks Mountain
Jacks Mountain
Jacks Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge in central Pennsylvania, United States, trending southeast of the Stone Mountain ridge and Jacks Mountain Anticline. The ridge line separates Kishacoquillas Valley from the Ferguson and Dry Valleys...
with Butler Knob
Butler Knob
Butler Knob is a peak on the Jacks Mountain ridge in south central Pennsylvania in the United States. The "Knobs" summit is underlain with weather resistant quartzite of the Tuscarora Formation . Butler Knob is accessible by a rough road, where there is a closed firetower on the summit...
(31 miles), Sideling Hill
Sideling Hill
Sideling Hill is a long, steep, narrow mountain ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains, located in Washington County in western Maryland and adjacent West Virginia and Pennsylvania, USA...
(28 miles), and on the distant horizon Big Mountain
Big Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Big Mountain is the high point on the Tuscarora Mountain ridge in south central Pennsylvania in the United States. The . summit is located in the Buchanan State Forest and offers an viewshed that is one of the more stunning in the Commonwealth....
(41 miles) and the Tuscarora Mountain
Tuscarora Mountain
Tuscoarora Mountain is a mountain ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in the Ridge and Valley province in central Pennsylvania. It reaches its highest point on Big Mountain at 2,458 feet above sea level....
Ridge. To the south; Wills Mountain
Wills Mountain
Wills Mountain is a quartzite-capped ridge in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania and Maryland, USA, extending from near Bedford, Pennsylvania to near Cumberland, Maryland...
(32 miles), Savage Mountain
Allegheny Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Allegheny Mountain is a stratigraphic ridge that extends northeast to southwest from south of Blue Knob to a saddle point at the Savage Mountain anticline...
(28 miles) and Bald Knob on the Allegheny Front (20 miles). The town of Bedford is hidden by Kinton Knob
Kinton Knob
Kinton Knob is a peak in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Kinton Knob marks the north end of Wills Mountain where it abruptly ends just southwest of the town of Bedford. The mountain has an array of communication towers on its summit. Limited views are available from the top, especially in the winter...
(18 miles).
The views west include Laurel Hill
Laurel Hill (Pennsylvania)
Laurel Hill, also known as Laurel Ridge or Laurel Mountain, is a long mountain in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains. This ridge is flanked by Negro Mountain to its east and Chestnut Ridge to its west. The mountain is home to six State Parks; Laurel Ridge State Park, Laurel Mountain State Park,...
and the Conemaugh Gorge (22 miles) and the Allegheny Plateau
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...
.
Drainages: A few of the major streams are Big Lick Branch, Rhodes Run, Pavia Run, Deep Hollow Run, Scubgrass Creek, Beaverdam Creek and Little Beaverdam Creek. Bob's Creek which is in the valley below the mountain is a "Class A" trout stream and popular among local fisherman. Adjacent to the mountain on the Allegheny Front are Big Break Hollow and Wallacks Branch, portions of these streams are located within the State Park boundary.
Geology
These peaks along with Blue Knob form a grouping of mountains that stand out as a massifMassif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
from the rest of the Allegheny Front
Allegheny Front
The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front delineates the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to its east from the Appalachian Plateau to its west...
and form some of the highest elevations in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains.
Blue Knob is separate from the rest of the Allegheny Front
Allegheny Front
The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front delineates the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to its east from the Appalachian Plateau to its west...
escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
, and the mountain's lower base is made up of siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
and shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
of the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
Catskill and Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
-Mississippian Rockwell formations. The upper slopes and summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
are made up of the buff-colored Mississippian Burgoon Formation of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
, which is far more resistant to weathering than the underlying shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
and siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
. The rocks near the summit have a bluish-green appearance, giving Blue Knob its name.
History
Until 1921, Blue Knob was believed to be the highest mountain in Pennsylvania until the U.S. Geological Survey determined a summit of 3213 feet (979.3 m) was higher (later named Mount DavisMount Davis (Pennsylvania)
Mount Davis is the highest point in Pennsylvania. Located in the 5,685 acre Forbes State Forest in Elk Lick Township, Somerset County, it rises to 3,213 ft...
). In the 1950s the summit was cleared of vegetation and was the location of Claysburg Air Force Station
Claysburg Air Force Station
Claysburg Air Force Station is a closed United States Air Force General Surveillance Radar station. It is located west of Claysburg, Pennsylvania. It was closed in 1961 due to budget constraints...
until it was deactivated in 1961. Shortly afterward the Blue Knob Ski area was developed. Signs from the former station remain on the summit and one buildings remains as a ski lodge. Ski lifts, a ski lodge and a couple of maintenance structures occupy the broad summit of Blue Knob; and a few ski chalets are downhill of the bald summit.
Climate
The state record snowfall was recorded on Blue Knob at 225 inches during the winter of 1890-81. In the December 1890, 86 inches fell on the mountain alone. Average snowfall is about 12 feet (3.7 m) annually, while temperatures usually are 10 to 12 degrees cooler than in the surrounding towns.Blue Knob's weather can be attributed to its aspect
Aspect (geography)
In physical geography, aspect generally refers to the horizontal direction to which a mountain slope faces. For example, a slope on the eastern edge of the Rockies toward the Great Plains is described as having an easterly aspect...
and elevation. The mountain rises approximately 500 + feet above the plateaus to the west. The prevailing winds
Prevailing winds
Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface. A region's prevailing and dominant winds...
hit the mountain's slopes, accelerating up and over its bald summit. It is these conditions that can cause wind chill
Wind chill
Wind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill temperature is always lower than the air temperature, and the windchill is undefined at the higher temps...
factors to dip below zero during the winter months.
Vegetation
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia, also known as American Beech or North american beech, is a species of beech native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States. Trees in the...
and other associated hardwoods due to the richer soils. The upper slopes of the mountain have Black Cherry, Striped Maple
Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicum is a species of maple native to northern and montane forests in eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south to Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Jersey, and also at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains south to northern Georgia.It is a small...
, Scrub Oak
Scrub Oak
Scrub Oak is a general name for several species of small, shrubby oaks, including the following species:*California Scrub Oak *Leather Oak *Coastal Scrub Oak...
and a forest floor of Blueberry
Blueberry
Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
and Fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
. Over the 3000 feet (914.4 m) contour the trees are distinctively stunted due to the winds and fierce weather.
In September 2004, during Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
, strong winds called derecho
Derecho
A derecho is a widespread and long-lived, violent convectively induced straight-line windstorm that is associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms in the form of a squall line usually taking the form of a bow echo...
s streamed through the saddle between Herman Point and Blue Knob, leveling trees on the ridges that abut the mountain. Many of the larger trees were blown down like match sticks, opening great holes in the forest canopy. The park conducted salvage efforts to remove wood from the park and reopen trails and camp areas.
Wildlife
WildlifeWildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
is abundant on the slopes of Blue Knob. Species such as white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, ruffed grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
, turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
are difficult to see but finding their tracks in the snow is not uncommon. Black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
is another resident on the mountain and are more likely to be seen during the early morning and evening hours. Red-tailed hawks, warblers, vireos and songbirds are found here throughout the seasons.
Adjacent to the State Park is the 11926 acres (48.3 km²) Pennsylvania State Game Lands
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...
No. 26. This area combined with the park is an area over 17000 acres (68.8 km²) of public land. There are a few areas in Blue Knob State Park which are closed to hunting (see park map). Hikers need to be extremely careful during the hunting season in late November and through December.