Big Mountain (Pennsylvania)

Big Mountain is the high point on the Tuscarora Mountain ridge in south central Pennsylvania in the United States. The 2,458-foot (749 m) summit is located in the Buchanan State Forest and offers an viewshed that is one of the more stunning in the Commonwealth.

For other uses, see Big Mountain, Pennsylvania.
Big Mountain
Big Mountain
Highest point
Elevation2,458 ft (749 m)  NGVD 29[1]
Coordinates39°57′01″N 77°56′12″W [2]
Geography
LocationFranklin / Fulton counties, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Parent rangeAppalachian Mountains
Topo mapUSGS McConnellsburg (Pennsylvania)
Climbing
Easiest routeRoad

Tuscarora Formation quartzite of the Silurian Age underlies the summit; it is this weather resistant rock which gives Big Mountain its high prominence.

Big Mountain and the rest of the Tuscarora Ridge has abundant wildlife. Black bear, white-tailed deer, a variety of bird species and its most notorious resident the timber rattlesnake can be found while hiking on the ridge.

The Tuscarora Trail passes along the ridge and over the summit, the nearby Cowans Gap State Park offers a variety of campsites, swimming, boating and hiking trails centered on a 42-acre (17 ha) lake.

  • View from summit of Big Mountain, looking east towards Parnell Knob and the "Great Valley"
  • View looking north up the Path Valley
  • View looking towards Kittatinny Mountain and Clarks Knob
  • Big Mountain Summit as seen from Fannettsburg, Pennsylvania.
  • Looking north from summit. Cove Mountain is to the left and Tuscarora Mountain to the right.
  • Shadow of Big Mountain cast on Kittatinny Mountain to the east.

Further reading
  • Alan R. Geyer (1979) "Outstanding Geologic Features of Pennsylvania", Geological Survey of Pennsylvania
  • Charles H. Shultz (1999) "The Geology of Pennsylvania", Geological Survey of Pennsylvania ISBN 0-8182-0227-0
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References
  1. "Tuscarora Mountain, Pennsylvania". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
  2. "Big Mountain". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
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