Shenandoah Mountain is a mountain

ridge A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

approximately long in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

and

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. The steep, narrow, sandstone-capped ridge extends from northern

Bath County, Virginia Bath County is a United States county located in the Shenandoah Valley on the central western edge of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,209, making it the second-least populous county in Virginia. Bath ...

to southern

Hardy County, West Virginia Hardy County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 14,299. Its county seat is Moorefield, West Virginia, Moorefield. The county was created f ...

. Along the way, its crest defines the borders between

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

and Augusta counties, Virginia, and between

Pendleton County, West Virginia Pendleton County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,143, making it the second-least populous county in West Virginia. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created by the ...

, and

Rockingham County, Virginia Rockingham County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the Independent city (United States), independent city ...

. Its high point is 4397’/1340 m Reddish Knob along the Virginia/West Virginia border. Located in the Ridge and Valley

physiographic province physiographic province is a geographic region with a characteristic geomorphology, and often specific subsurface rock type or structural elements. The continents are subdivided into various physiographic provinces, each having a specific characte ...

of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, Shenandoah Mountain forms part of the western margin of the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

, and is part of the easternmost

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

. It lies almost entirely within the

George Washington National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. United States National Forest, National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover o ...

. U.S. Route 33 crosses the mountain between

Franklin, West Virginia Franklin is a town in and the county seat of Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 486 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Franklin was established in 1794 and named for Francis Evick, an early settler. Hi ...

, and

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham Cou ...

. Other Shenandoah Mountain high peaks are Flagpole Knob (Virginia; 4383’/1336 m), and Bald Knob (Virginia; 3680’/1122 m).

References

{{Mountains of West Virginia Ridges of Virginia Ridges of West Virginia Allegheny Mountains Shenandoah River Mountains of Rockingham County, Virginia Mountains of Bath County, Virginia Mountains of Augusta County, Virginia Mountains of Highland County, Virginia Mountains of Pendleton County, West Virginia Ridges of Hardy County, West Virginia West Virginia placenames of Native American origin

See also

References