Blue Mountain, or The Blue Mountains, is a visually prominent section of the Niagara Escarpment

Niagara Escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...

 located west of Collingwood

Collingwood, Ontario

Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...

 in Grey

Grey County, Ontario

Grey County is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is in Owen Sound. The population was 92,411 in 2006. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Southwestern Ontario...

 and Simcoe

Simcoe County, Ontario

Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...

 Counties in Southern

Southern Ontario

Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...

 Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, rising to heights of over 300 metres (1000’) above the land and Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...

. Many activities and natural beauty abound in the area such as biking, skiing

Skiing

Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

, snowboarding

Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

 and hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

. Wedged between the mountain and the bay communities include Clarksburg

Clarksburg

Clarksburg may refer to some places in the United States of America:*Clarksburg, California**Clarksburg AVA, an American Viticultural Area*Clarksburg, former name of Clarksville, California*Clarksburg, Indiana*Clarksburg, Maryland...

, Craigleith, Thornbury and the Town of the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains, Ontario

The Blue Mountains is a town in Grey County, southwestern Ontario, Canada, located where the Beaver River flows into Nottawasaga Bay. It is named for the Blue Mountains, and hence the economy of the town is centered around tourism, particularly on the Blue Mountain ski resort and the private...

. High-end homes are built on the mountain as well. On a clear day, one can view the entire bowl shape of the southern end of Georgian Bay, to the east the Wasaga Beaches

Wasaga Beach, Ontario

Wasaga Beach is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is a popular four-season tourist destination situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern end of Georgian Bay approximately two hours north of Toronto, and abuts, to the west, the town of Collingwood...

, the town of Collingwood and to the north the distant shorelines of the bay. Blue Mountain's name comes from the unusually blue clay

Clay

Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...

that can be found around the mountain.