Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge or Blue Ridge Mountains, mountain range in the southeastern United States, easternmost range of the Appalachian Mountains. It extends from northern Georgia northeastward across western North Carolina and western Virginia into West Virginia. The northern terminus of the range is generally defined as a point near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, but some authorities include in the Blue Ridge the ranges that project north from Harpers Ferry into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The highest summits are in the Black Mountains, a subsidiary range in North Carolina containing Mount Mitchell, the highest (2,037 m/6,684 ft) mountain east of the Mississippi River. Most Blue Ridge peaks are between 6o0 and 1,200 m (2,000 and 4,000 ft). The Blue Ridge Parkway, averaging 910 m (3,000 ft) above sea level, follows the Blue Ridge through Virginia and North Carolina for 760 km (470 mi).