Mount Davis (Pennsylvania)
| Mount Davis | |
|---|---|
 Observation tower atop Mt. Davis, Pennsylvania |
|
| Elevation | 3,213 ft (979 m) [1] |
| Listing | U.S. state high point |
| Location | |
 Mount Davis
United States |
|
| Range | Allegheny Mountains |
| Coordinates | 39°47′10″N 79°10′33″W / 39.78611°N 79.17583°WCoordinates: 39°47′10″N 79°10′33″W / 39.78611°N 79.17583°W[2] |
| Topo map | USGS Markleton and Meyersdale |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Mount Davis (3,213 ft./979 m) is the highest point in Pennsylvania. Located in the 5,685 acre (23.01 km²) Forbes State Forest in Elk Lick Township, Somerset County, it rises to along a gentle crest of a 30 mile (50 km) ridge line extending from central Somerset County southward into Garrett County, Maryland known as Negro Mountain.
The high point was named for John Nelson Davis, an early settler, American Civil War veteran, surveyor, and naturalist known for his studies of the mountain's flora and fauna.
The summit of Mt. Davis may be ascended by car or a number of hiking trails. Its surrounds are noted for their patterns of unusual circular stone formed by periglacial action. A metal observation tower with a relief map of the region stands near the true high point.
Weather on the peak is temperate, punctuated by heavy winds, rain, and hail. Temperature extremes range from -30 to 106 °F (-34 to 35 °C), though frosts have been recorded in every month of the year. Summer conditions are generally mild and winters are characterized by moderate snowfall. Average annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 42 inches (970 to 1070 mm).[citation needed]
[edit] Trails
Trails in the park include:[3]
- High Point Trail: 0.8 miles (1.3 km)
- Mt. Davis Trail: 0.1 miles (0.2 km)
- Shelter Rock Trail: 1 mile (1.6 km)
- Tub Mill Run Trail: 2.8 miles (4.5 km)
- Timberslide Trail: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Laurel Run Trail: 1.9 miles (3.1 km)
- Wolf Rock Trail: 0.8 miles (1.3 km)
- Shelter Rock Road: 1.6 miles (2.6 km)
- Livengood Trail: 1.1 miles (1.8 km)
[edit] References
- ^ "Mount Davis". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7351. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ "Mount Davis". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1209050. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
- ^ "Mount Davis". SummitPost. http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151425/mount-davis.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
