Woodall Mountain
| Woodall Mountain | |
|---|---|
 View from Woodall Mountain |
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| Elevation | 807 ft (246 m) [1] |
| Prominence | 296 to 306 feet (90 to 93 m)[2] |
| Listing | U.S. state high point |
| Location | |
 Woodall Mountain
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| Range | Southwest Appalachian Mountains |
| Coordinates | 34°47′15.9″N 88°14′29.9″W / 34.78775°N 88.241639°WCoordinates: 34°47′15.9″N 88°14′29.9″W / 34.78775°N 88.241639°W[1] |
| Topo map | USGS Iuka |
Woodall Mountain is the highest natural point in the state of Mississippi at 807 feet (246 m). It is located just off Mississippi Highway 25, south of Iuka. The summit is marked with a National Geodetic Survey triangulation station disk and three radio towers. A sign cautions visitors to prepare for a steep, unpaved, and rocky inclined road approximately a mile in length to the summit.
Atop the hill there is a picnic table and a gravel circle allowing parking room for several vehicles. At the base of the hill to the east are the town of Iuka’s Little League and Youth Softball fields adjacent to the Tishomingo County Fair Grounds. Immediately to the south lies Woodall Mountain Estates, a subdivision with approximately 75 houses placed around a large lake.
Until 1998 an observation tower stood atop the hill in the middle of the gravel circle. A climb to the top gave an encompassing view of the surrounding area, and was an excellent vantage point to watch the town of Iuka’s fireworks displays. By the time of the towers' removal in 1998 some steps up the tower had rotted and the tower itself showed signs of age.
The height of Woodall Mountain is often lampooned by locals. Some nearby stores sell souvenir t-shirts with the phrase "Ski Woodall". However, the mountain does rise prominently above the surrounding terrain, is visible for several miles, and provides a good view of the surrounding countryside.
The Tupelo, MS-based bluegrass band The Woodall Mountain Boys took their name from the mountain.
[edit] Civil War
Woodall Mountain was the scene of fighting during the American Civil War. On September 19, 1862, the Battle of Iuka took place there. Union General William Rosecrans occupied the mountain and used it to launch artillery barrages on the town of Iuka. The battle was a victory for the Union.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Knob Reset". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=EG1487.
- ^ Earl, Edward (2007). "State Prominence". http://home.earthlink.net/~esquared/outdoor/county_prom/state_prom.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
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