Flat Top Mountain
View down Interstate 77 from the crest of Flat Top Mountain towards the Bluestone River valley and East River Mountain beyond
Highest point
Elevation3,560 ft (1,090 m)[1]
Coordinates37°35′26″N 81°6′53″W / 37.59056°N 81.11472°W / 37.59056; -81.11472
Geography
LocationSouthern West Virginia, United States
Topo mapUSGS Mercer County WV

Flat Top Mountain is a mountain ridge within the Allegheny Mountains in Southern West Virginia, United States.

Geology

Its highest point is 3,560 feet (1,090 m) at Huff Knob near Flat Top, West Virginia.[1][2] Other peaks include Bluff Mountain, Indian Grave Mountain, Bald Knob, Rich Knob, and Pilot Knob. Its summit contains a 40-square-mile tableland of Guyandotte sandstone, giving rise to its name.[1]

The mountain ridge locally forms the boundary between the Allegheny Plateau to the northwest and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to the southeast.[1] To the southeast, it descends steeply to the Bluestone River valley, while to the northwest it descends more slowly, with several rivers flowing to the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers. Beckley, West Virginia lies on its northwestern slopes.[3]

Beyond its northeastern end lies White Oak Mountain and then the New River Gorge, beyond which the Yew Mountains continue the Allegheny Plateau/Ridge-and-Valley border.[3] At its southwestern end, Big Stone Ridge forms an extension of Flat Top Mountain, forming the southernmost range of the Allegheny Mountains.[3][4]

It is not to be confused with two other mountains in West Virginia of the same name, in Hardy and Monroe counties.[1]

Culture and economy

Flat Top Mountain's ridge forms the border between several counties: Wyoming and Raleigh counties are at its northwest, while McDowell, Mercer, and Summers counties are at its southeast.[1][3] Parts of the Pocahontas Coalfield lie beneath it, and the mountain has a long history of coal mining. Most agriculture on the mountain is devoted to livestock and Christmas tree farming. Recreational facilities include Winterplace Ski Resort and Camp Creek State Park.[1]

The ridge of Flat Top Mountain is crossed north-to-south at Clark's Gap by the Norfolk Southern Railway's Princeton–Deepwater District, which was originally the Virginian Railway's main line. The line served to deliver coal to consumers on the East Coast.[5][6] In 2015, this segment of the line was mothballed due to decreases in coal traffic.[7][8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Adkins, Howard G. (July 1, 2011). "Flat Top Mountain". The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  2. ↑ Harvey, Jeff (August 31, 2018). "Huff's Knob name remains a mystery". The Princeton Times. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Flat Top Mountain Topo Map in Mercer County WV". TopoZone. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Big Stone Ridge". West Virginia Explorer Magazine. October 11, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  5. ↑ Phillips, Samuel (July 30, 2015). "Norfolk Southern's Princeton-Deepwater District – The Virginian Railfan Guide". Travis Dewitz, The Railroad Collection. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  6. ↑ Phillips, Samuel (December 10, 2012). "A trip up the former Virginian P-D District". Photography by Samuel Phillips. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  7. ↑ Gunnoe, Chase (September 21, 2015). "NS to mothball 50 miles of coal lines in West Virginia". Trains Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ Phillips, Samuel (April 29, 2020). "Iconic Virginian Route Briefly Reactivated to Store Cars". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
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