Appalachian Mountains
Eastern American highlands
The Appalachian Mountains are a major mountain range running roughly 1,500 miles along the eastern edge of North America, from Alabama to Maine.
Among the oldest mountains on Earth, they are characterized by rounded peaks and forested ridges rather than dramatic alpine heights.
The region has a distinct cultural identity, particularly in central Appalachia, associated with traditional music, dialect, and historically isolated rural communities.
Often shortened to the Appalachians: We hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail.
Acoustic Appalachian folk music
- moonshineIllegally distilled spirits
- Scots-IrishUlster Protestant diaspora
- quiltingLayered fabric stitching
- banjoFretted drum-stringed instrument
fiddle · folklore · Cherokee · pioneer · homestead · ballads · clogging · dulcimer
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- endemicNative to one area
- hardwoodDense deciduous timber
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
conifers · rhododendron · azalea · black bear · white-tailed deer · salamander · brook trout · wildflowers
Sparsely populated wilderness areas
- remoteDistant or controller
- pristinePure and untouched
- solitudeState of being alone
- unspoiledNot damaged or degraded
sanctuary · seclusion · wildlife · old-growth · untamed · tranquility · naturalness · national forest
Narrow raised strip
- summitPeak or diplomatic gathering
- peakUtmost height attained
- elevationHeight above reference point
- plateauFlat highland area
escarpment · highland · valley · gap · hollow · cove · knob · bald
Path through wilderness
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- thru-hikeComplete a long trail continuously
- switchbackReversing mountain path
- blazeIntense burning fire
shelter · lean-to · ridge walking · scramble · overlook · campsite · trailhead · waymark
bluegrass
Acoustic Appalachian folk music
- moonshineIllegally distilled spirits
- Scots-IrishUlster Protestant diaspora
- quiltingLayered fabric stitching
banjo · fiddle · folklore · Cherokee · pioneer · homestead · ballads · clogging · dulcimer · shape-note singing
ecosystem
Interconnected organisms and surroundings
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- endemicNative to one area
- hardwoodDense deciduous timber
deciduous · conifers · rhododendron · azalea · black bear · white-tailed deer · salamander · brook trout · wildflowers · understory
backcountry
Sparsely populated wilderness areas
unspoiled · sanctuary · seclusion · wildlife · old-growth · untamed · tranquility · naturalness · national forest · protected
ridge
Narrow raised strip
plateau · escarpment · highland · valley · gap · hollow · cove · knob · bald · prominence
trail
Path through wilderness
- backpackingSelf-supported wilderness travel
- thru-hikeComplete a long trail continuously
- switchbackReversing mountain path
blaze · shelter · lean-to · ridge walking · scramble · overlook · campsite · trailhead · waymark · footpath
Paleozoic
Early complex-life epoch
- orogenyGeological mountain formation
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- erosionGradual wearing away
strata · metamorphic · tectonics · thrust · fault · anticline · syncline · Cambrian · Devonian · Carboniferous
- Kentucky PlacesLexington, Louisville, Frankfort, Bowling Green, Covington
- mountainspeaks, peak, summit, summits, Alps
- US geographystates, capitals, state boundaries, state lines, regions
- North American Naturebald eagle, American bison, bison, grizzly bear, raccoon
- American LandformsGrand Canyon, Rockies, Great Plains, Great Lakes, Mississippi River
- East CoastAtlantic coast, mid-Atlantic, Eastern Seaboard, New York City, NYC
Appalachian MountainsRocky Mountains
Western North American cordillera
Rockies · Himalayas · Andes · Sierra Nevada · Cascade Range
mountain, mountains, mountaineer, mountaineering, Appalachian, Appalachians, Appalachia