'Backbone Mountain' is a
ridge of the
Allegheny Mountains of the central
Appalachian Range in the
United States. It stretches approximately 10 mi (16 km) southwest to northeast, from
Tucker County (including also the tip of
Preston County) in northern
West Virginia into
Garrett County in
Western Maryland. The summit of the ridge is 'Hoye Crest' (named for Captain Charles Hoye of the
Garrett County, Maryland, Historical Society), located in
Maryland, just east of the state line and forms the highest point in the state.
The mountain range provides a boundary between two watersheds. The headwaters of
Youghiogheny River, in the watershed of the
Mississippi River, lie just northwest of the mountain, whereas the headwaters of the North Branch of the
Potomac River lie just south of the mountain, along the
West Virginia-
Maryland border.
The ridge is crossed by
U.S. Highway 50.
See also
★
List of tallest mountains of U.S. states