The Uwharrie Mountains ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2013-02-05. are a
mountain range in
North Carolina spanning the counties of
Randolph,
Montgomery,
Stanly, and
Davidson
Davidson may refer to:
* Davidson (name)
* Clan Davidson, a Highland Scottish clan
* Davidson Media Group
* Davidson Seamount, undersea mountain southwest of Monterey, California, USA
* Tyler Davidson Fountain, monument in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
* ...
. The range's foothills stretch into
Cabarrus,
Anson,
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''U ...
, and
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
counties.
The Uwharries were once a coastal mountain range;
isostasy has slowly raised the eastern seabed until today they lie in the
Piedmont of North Carolina over from the coast. Formed approximately 500 million years ago by accretion along the
Gondwanan tectonic plate, they are thought to have once peaked at some ,
[uwharries.com] before
eroding to a maximum of just over . The range's high point is High Rock Mountain ( as measured by the NC Geodetic Survey), in southwestern Davidson County.
The Uwharrie lie within the
Southeastern mixed forests
The Southeastern mixed forests are an ecoregion of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome, in the lower portion of the Eastern United States.
Setting
This ecoregion covers the Piedmont region of the eastern United States, stretching in a ...
ecoregion.
They give their name to the
Uwharrie National Forest. Once entirely cleared for timber and farmland, the mountains were designated a
U.S. National Forest
In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands. National forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the federal government, and managed by t ...
in 1961 by President
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
. The woodlands have since returned, providing a haven for a diversity of wildlife, recreational facilities, and numerous
Native American archeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes ...
sites.
In 1799, the discovery of
gold at the nearby
Reed Gold Mine
The Reed Gold Mine is located in Midland, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and is the site of the first documented commercial gold find in the United States. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark because of its importance and l ...
in Cabarrus County led to America's first
gold rush.
The
North Carolina Zoo, America's first state-supported zoo, is located in the Uwharries region.
The
Caraway Mountains, a segment of the Uwharries, are located in western Randolph County, west of
Asheboro.
Protected areas
*
Birkhead Mountains Wilderness
*
Morrow Mountain State Park
Morrow Mountain State Park is a state park in Stanly County, North Carolina, U.S. Located near Albemarle, the park includes within the Uwharrie Mountains.
Geography
Morrow Mountain is one of the highest peaks in the Uwharrie Mountains of ce ...
*
Uwharrie National Forest
References
External links
Uwharrie Forest page at UNC Asheville*
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of North Carolina
Landforms of Randolph County, North Carolina
Landforms of Montgomery County, North Carolina
Landforms of Stanly County, North Carolina
Landforms of Davidson County, North Carolina