The Eastern Continental Divide, in conjunction with other continental divides of North America, demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Prior to 1760, the divide represented the boundary between British and French colonial possessions in North America. The ECD runs south-southwest from the Eastern Triple Divide in Pennsylvania to the watershed of the Kissimmee River, which drains via the Lake Okeechobee and the Okeechobee Waterway to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
Area | Point | Summit or other feature |
---|---|---|
PA: Eastern Triple Divide | 2,523 feet (769 m) | triple watershed point: watersheds of the Atlantic Seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, & Gulf of Saint Lawrence at the respective headwaters of Pine Creek (West Branch Susquehanna River), the Allegheny River, and the Genesee River. |
PA: Babcock Ridge | ||
PA: List of tunnels in Pennsylvania | 2,167 feet (661 m) | summit near Allegheny/Gallitzin Tunnels |
PA: Allegheny Mountain | 2,690 feet (820 m) | summit above Allegheny Mountain Tunnel (Pennsylvania Turnpike) |
PA: Allegheny Mountain | 2,460 feet (750 m) | summit above Sand Patch Tunnel |
PA: Savage Mountain | 2,392 feet (729 m)[1] | railroad cut on Great Allegheny Passage |
PA/MD: Savage Mountain | 2,840 feet (870 m) | highest summit of the Mason–Dixon Line |
MD: Savage Mountain | 2,600 feet (790 m) | saddle point at planned route of 1828 C&O Canal |
MD: Backbone Mountain | 3,380 feet (1,030 m) | highest Backbone summit on ECD (near MD/WV border) |
WV: Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia | Midland Trail: planned crossing for the 19th century James River and Kanawha Turnpike | |
VA: Jefferson National Forest | 3,620 feet (1,100 m) | saddle point at Johns Creek headwaters (James River tributary), and near triple point of Mississippi River (W) & Chesapeake Bay (NE)/Albemarle Sound (Roanoke River) (SE) |
VA: Appalachian Trail | crossing | |
NC: Thurmond Chatham Wildlife Management Area | triple point of New River and Yadkin/West Prong Roaring rivers | |
NC: Highlands, North Carolina | 4,100 feet (1,200 m) | Swannanoa Tunnel |
NC: Cowee Gap | 4,199 feet (1,280 m) | divides Tennessee (Cullasaja) and Savannah (Chatooga) rivers |
NC/SC: Savannah watershed | triple point at border of NC with Pickens & Greenville counties in SC: Tennessee River (west) & Savannah River-Pickens/Santee River-Greenville (east) | |
SC: Sassafras Mountain | 3,564 feet (1,086 m) | located along the South Carolina-North Carolina border in northern Pickens County, South Carolina nearest to the town of Rosman, North Carolina |
GA: Black Rock Mountain State Park | 3,640 feet (1,110 m)[1] | a Blue Ridge summit |
GA: ACF River Basin at Young Lick | triple point at intersection of 3 GA counties: Hiwassee (Towns Co)/Chattahoochee River (Habersham Co) on the west & on the east: Savannah River (Rabun Co) | |
GA: Altamaha watershed | triple point along border of Hall & Banks (GA) counties: Chattahoochee River-Banks (west) & Altamaha River-Hall/Savannah River-Banks (east) | |
GA: Suwanee watershed | triple point: Chattahoochee River/Suwanee (west) & Altamaha River (east) | |
GA: Norcross, Georgia | through Norcross historic district | |
GA: Atlanta | near Dekalb Av | |
GA: Fall line of the United States | near Macon, Georgia, this intersection is a triple physiographic point of the Piedmont (to the north) and the Gulf & Atlantic coastal plains (southwest & southeast). | |
GA: Satilla watershed | triple point: Suwanee (west) & Altamaha River/Satilla River (east) | |
GA: St. Marys watershed | triple point: Suwanee (west) & Satilla River/St. Marys River (east) | |
FL: St. Johns watershed | triple point: Suwanee (west) & St. Marys River/St. Johns River (east) | |
FL: Florida Trail | Central Florida crossing over the Florida crustal arch | |
FL: Withlacoochee watershed | triple point: Suwanee/Withlacoochee River (Florida) (west) & St. Johns River (east) | |
FL: Miami watershed | triple point: Withlacoochee (west) & St. Johns River/Miami River (east) | |
FL: Kissimmee/Okeechobee watershed | south point of ECD @ Withlacoochee & Miami/Kissimmee triple point (Kissimmee drains to both Gulf & Atlantic via Lake Okeechobee & Okeechobee Waterway) |