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Allegheny Mountains
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Spruce Knob summit Allegheny Mountains orogeny Map of West Virginia showing major physical features such as rivers, lakes, dams, and prominent mountain peaks including Spruce Knob, Red Spruce Knob, Bald Knob, and Brier Knob. State boundaries with Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky are marked, and an inset locator map shows West Virginia's position within the United States.
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Spruce Knob summit
Spruce Knob summit View from the summit of Spruce Knob, Allegheny Mountains, eastern West Virginia.

Allegheny Mountains

mountains, United States
Also known as: Alleghenies
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Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains

Allegheny Mountains, mountainous eastern part of the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains, U.S. The Allegheny range extends south-southwestward for more than 500 miles (800 km) from north-central Pennsylvania to southwestern Virginia. Rising to Mount Davis (3,213 feet [979 metres]; highest point in Pennsylvania) and Spruce Knob (4,863 feet [1,482 metres]; highest point in West Virginia), the mountains consist of nearly parallel northeast–southwest ridges that are drained through the gorges cut by the North Branch of the Potomac and the New rivers. Parts of the Monongahela, George Washington, and Jefferson national forests encompass the mountains, which are noted for their scenic beauty. Once forming a barrier to western communication, they are now crossed by many railroads and highways. The name Alleghenies is also used in reference to the Allegheny Plateau.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer.
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