The Appalachian Mountains stretch approximately 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometers) from Newfoundland and Labrador southwestward to central Alabama. They represent one of the world’s oldest mountain belts, with a geological history spanning hundreds of millions of years. The range’s elevation varies significantly across its length, requiring a specific answer regarding its height.
The Definitive Answer: Highest Peak
The highest point in the Appalachian chain is Mount Mitchell, located in the Black Mountains subrange of North Carolina. This peak reaches an elevation of 6,684 feet (2,037 meters) above sea level. It is the highest point in the United States located east of the Mississippi River. The summit anchors a cluster of other high peaks within the Black Mountains, contributing to the highest elevations found in the eastern half of the continent.
Understanding Elevation Variance Across the Range
While Mount Mitchell represents the maximum height, elevation varies considerably between the northern and southern sections. The Southern Appalachians, including the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, contain the greatest mass of high land. This region features numerous high-elevation summits, with 46 peaks rising above 6,000 feet and nearly 300 peaks exceeding 5,000 feet.
In contrast, the Northern Appalachians, encompassing New England, present lower and more isolated high points. Mount Washington in New Hampshire stands at 6,289 feet, which is lower than the highest summits in North Carolina. Other peaks like Mount Katahdin in Maine reach 5,266 feet. The southern portion maintains a significantly higher average elevation.
The Geological Reason for Their Height
The current modest height of the Appalachian Mountains is a result of their extreme age and the geological forces that have acted upon them. The mountain building process, known as the Alleghanian orogeny, occurred roughly 330 to 270 million years ago when North America and Africa collided to form the supercontinent Pangea. This collision initially thrust the mountains to soaring heights, which geologists estimate were once comparable to the modern Alps or the Himalayas.
Unlike younger, tectonically active ranges, the Appalachians have been subjected to hundreds of millions of years of relentless decay. Weathering, erosion, and glaciation continuously wore down the peaks. By the end of the Mesozoic Era, around 66 million years ago, the entire range had been reduced to an almost flat, rolling plain.
The mountains we see today are the result of more recent geological uplift during the Cenozoic Era, which rejuvenated the landscape. This uplift caused streams to cut deep valleys and gorges into the ancient, resistant bedrock, carving out the distinctive ridges and rounded peaks that characterize the Appalachians.