Clinch Mountain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clinch Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 4,689 feet (1,429 metres) ("Beartown Mountain" summit) |
| Location | Tennessee and Virginia, USA |
| Range | Appalachian Mountains, Ridge-and-valley Appalachians |
| Coordinates | |
Clinch Mountain is a mountain ridge in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Virginia, lying in the ridge-and-valley section of the Appalachian Mountains. It runs in a general east-northeasterly direction from near Blaine, Tennessee to Garden Mountain near Burke's Garden, Virginia. It separates the Clinch River basin, to the north, and the Holston River basin, to the south.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Clinch Mountain is a long ridge, about 150 miles (240 km) in length. It runs generally southwest-northeast, with numerous curves. Its north-south extent is 97 miles (157 km), and east-west 172 miles (278 km). Due to its size it is sometimes called a mountain range or complex. According to peakbagger.com, Clinch Mountain Complex includes the sub-range of Knob Mountain, as well as four high point summits above 4,000 feet (Beartown Mountain, Flattop Mountain, Morris Knob, and Chimney Rock Peak).
[edit] History
Clinch Mountain is named after after the Clinch River, which was named after an unknown pioneer. The earliest known reference to the name is in the journal of Dr. Walker: "Clinch's River, from one Clinch a hunter" (Stewart, 1967:146).
The Wilderness Road to the Cumberland Gap crossed Clinch Mountain at Moccasin Gap, which Moccasin Creek flows through to join the Holston River to the south.
[edit] Music
The Carter Family immortalized the mountain in their 1928 song "My Clinch Mountain Home." A fiddle tune called "Clinch Mountain Backstep" is in the Appalachian folk repertoire.
[edit] Transportation crossings
The following crossings of Clinch Mountain can be made, from southwest to northeast:
- Tennessee
- State Route 61 connects Blaine with Luttrell just south of the ridge.
- Mountain Road connects Joppa and Powder Springs via Powder Spring Gap.
- U.S. Highway 25E (State Route 32) connects Rock Haven and Thorn Hill via Beans Gap.
- State Route 31 connects Spruce Pine and the settlement of Flat Gap via Flat Gap.
- State Route 66 connects Klondike and Lee Valley via Big War Gap.
- State Route 70 connects Alumwell and Frog Level via Little War Gap.
- Virginia
- The CSX Transportation Kingsport Subdivision connects Kermit and Speers Ferry via the Clinch Mountain Tunnel.
- U.S. Route 23/U.S. Route 58/U.S. Route 421 and the Norfolk Southern Railway Appalachia Division connect Weber City and Gate City via Moccasin Gap.
- State Route 612 connects Mendota and Collinwood via Fugate Gap.
- U.S. Route 19/U.S. Route 58 Alternate connects Holston and Hansonville via Little Moccasin Gap.
- State Route 80 connects the settlement of Hayters Gap and Rockdell via Hayters Gap.
- State Route 91 connects Tannersville and Maiden Spring via an unnamed crossing.
- State Route 16 connects Asberrys and Benbow via an unnamed crossing.
[edit] See also
- Clinch Mountain Boys
- Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area
[edit] References
- Clinch Mountain, USGS GNIS
- Clinch Mountain Complex, Peakbagger
- Stewart, George R. (1967). Names on the Land. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
