South Mountain (eastern Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
South Mountain is a colloquial name applied to features in the mountain range extending south and south west from the Lehigh Valley
to the Lebanon Valley
regions of Pennsylvania
. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains. It is called the Reading Prong
by geologists.
The name South Mountain is applied to the southern most cluster of peaks in the feature, straddling Berks
, Lancaster
, and Lebanon
counties; and also to the northern most end of the feature as the ridge into which Lehigh University
is built.
South Mountain borders Emmaus
, just to the south of Allentown
, and comprises a ridge of low mountains passing east of Reading
and then extending nearly due west. It is a continuation of the New England Province
and is the southern end of the Hudson Highlands
.
The ridge does not follow a straight line like Blue Mountain
, located to the north.
South Mountain ranges in elevation between 500 and 1,300 feet above sea level. The ridge is made of metamorphic rocks and gneiss
, which date to the Precambrian era
and range from about 570 to 1,600 million years old.
South Mountain is largely undeveloped in its northern extension due to conservation efforts and its steep slope. This makes it a beautiful backdrop to the viewpoints of the Lehigh Valley, including, at night, the city lights of Allentown. The southern end of this feature extends west along U.S. Route 422
and the southeastern border of Berks County, providing views of Blue Mountain (to the north), Mount Penn (which comprises part of the prong), and the city of Reading, to the east. The southern most peaks were at one time home to many exclusive sanitariums and resorts, now all defunct except for the Caron Foundation
. South Mountain serves as the transmitter site for local FM and Television stations.
Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley, known officially by the United States Census Bureau as the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area and referred to locally as The Valley and A-B-E, is a metropolitan region consisting of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Carbon counties in eastern Pennsylvania and...
to the Lebanon Valley
Lebanon Valley
The Lebanon Valley is a geographic region that lies between South Mountain and the Ridge and Valley Province of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The valley lies almost entirely within Lebanon and Berks counties in Pennsylvania. Portions of the valley lie in eastern Dauphin and northern...
regions of Pennsylvania
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...
. At times, it also been known as Durham Hills, Reading Hills, and the Lehigh Mountains. It is called the Reading Prong
Reading Prong
The Reading Prong is a physiographic subprovince of the New England Uplands section of the New England province of the Appalachian Highlands. The prong consists of mountains made up of crystalline metamorphic rock.-Location:...
by geologists.
The name South Mountain is applied to the southern most cluster of peaks in the feature, straddling Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, Lancaster
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, and Lebanon
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 per square mile...
counties; and also to the northern most end of the feature as the ridge into which Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
is built.
South Mountain borders Emmaus
Emmaus, Pennsylvania
Emmaus is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is located five miles southwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.The population of Emmaus was 11,313 at the 2000 census...
, just to the south of Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, and comprises a ridge of low mountains passing east of Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
and then extending nearly due west. It is a continuation of the New England Province
New England province
The New England province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division of eastern North America. The province consists of the Seaboard Lowland, New England Upland, White Mountain, Green Mountain, and Taconic sections.-Geology:...
and is the southern end of the Hudson Highlands
Hudson Highlands
The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U.S. state of New York, between Newburgh Bay and Haverstraw Bay, which form the northern region of the New York - New Jersey Highlands....
.
The ridge does not follow a straight line like Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
, located to the north.
South Mountain ranges in elevation between 500 and 1,300 feet above sea level. The ridge is made of metamorphic rocks and gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
, which date to the Precambrian era
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
and range from about 570 to 1,600 million years old.
South Mountain is largely undeveloped in its northern extension due to conservation efforts and its steep slope. This makes it a beautiful backdrop to the viewpoints of the Lehigh Valley, including, at night, the city lights of Allentown. The southern end of this feature extends west along U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
and the southeastern border of Berks County, providing views of Blue Mountain (to the north), Mount Penn (which comprises part of the prong), and the city of Reading, to the east. The southern most peaks were at one time home to many exclusive sanitariums and resorts, now all defunct except for the Caron Foundation
Caron Foundation
Caron Foundation is a drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation center located at a facility in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, USA. Caron also has locations in New York NY, Wyomissing PA, Plymouth Meeting PA, Boca Raton FL and Bermuda. Caron is a non-profit organization....
. South Mountain serves as the transmitter site for local FM and Television stations.