Central Mountain facts for kids
Central Mountain is a mountain located in Pennsylvania, USA. It stretches across parts of Columbia County, Sullivan County, and Luzerne County. This mountain stands about 2,247 feet (685 m) above sea level, which is how high it is compared to the ocean. Central Mountain is part of a larger group of mountains called the Allegheny Front.
Long ago, this mountain was known as North Mountain. But in the late 1800s, it was renamed Central Mountain after a nearby village called Central. Today, it's a very important natural area in Columbia County. Many different kinds of trees, shrubs, and plants grow there. You can also find various birds, amphibians, and mammals living on the mountain.
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What is Central Mountain Like?
Central Mountain is 2,247 feet (685 m) tall. This makes it the second-highest mountain in Columbia County, right after Red Rock Mountain. It's also the mountain furthest north in Columbia County. As mentioned, it's part of the Allegheny Front, which is a long, steep slope that marks the edge of a high plateau.
A stream called East Branch Fishing Creek flows right at the bottom of Central Mountain. The lower parts of the mountain, about 200 to 500 feet (61 to 152 m) up, have a bumpy surface with small hills and hollows. This kind of land was shaped by glaciers long ago.
Central Mountain is located in an area called the Red Rock quadrangle, according to the United States Geological Survey. It's partly in northeastern Sugarloaf Township and also extends into Sullivan and Luzerne counties.
Rocks and Soil on the Mountain
Central Mountain has some interesting rock formations. One is called the Duncannon Member of the Catskill Formation, which is about 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m) thick here. Another rock formation found on the mountain is the Pocono Formation. This one dates back to the Mississippian Period, which was a very long time ago in Earth's history.
The soil on Central Mountain is often very wet. It's made of deep, dark, spongy material that holds a lot of water.
How Central Mountain Got Its Name
Central Mountain was first called North Mountain. This was because it was the most northern mountain in Columbia County. But between 1860 and 1900, people started calling it Central Mountain. This new name came from the nearby village of Central. By the 1890s, when the logging industry was very active in the area, Central Mountain became the most common name.
In the 1800s, there was even a school district and a geographical area in Sugarloaf Township called Central District. These were named after both Central Mountain and the village of Central.
Today, there are some concerns about the mountain's natural areas. Things like continued logging and trails used by all terrain vehicles could potentially harm the habitats there.
Plants and Trees of Central Mountain
Central Mountain is a very important natural place. It's listed on the Columbia County Natural Areas Inventory. In fact, it has the highest priority rank (a 1 on a scale of 1 to 5), meaning it's one of the most important sites for nature in the county. Only two other places in Columbia County share this high rank: South Branch Roaring Creek and the Susquehanna River.
The northern part of Columbia County, including Central Mountain, is covered in northern hardwood forests. The mountain has different types of natural areas, including wet forests with many hemlock trees. You can also find open sedge meadows in some spots.
Many different plants grow on Central Mountain. These include Sphagnum mosses, sedges, and other herbaceous plants (plants with soft stems). The northeastern bulrush, which is a plant that is federally endangered, also grows here.
Many kinds of trees call Central Mountain home. Besides hemlock, you'll find yellow birch, black birch, black gum, sugar maple, red maple, white oak, chestnut oak, red oak, white pine, sassafras, basswood, tulip poplar, pignut hickory, mockernut hickory, shagbark hickory, and ash.
Shrubs and Smaller Plants
Central Mountain is also home to many shrub species. These include mountain laurel, black huckleberry, highbush blueberry, low sweet blueberry, gooseberry, swamp dewberry, witch-hazel, greenbriar, and striped maple.
Many smaller plants also grow on the mountain. You'll see various sedges and different types of ferns, such as Christmas fern, sweet fern, hay-scented fern, and interrupted fern. Other herbaceous plants include black bulrush, false hellebore, jewelweed, partridgeberry, smartweeds, soft rush, false Solomon's seal, stinging nettle, swamp milkweed, Sphagnum moss, sweet vernal grass, teaberry, trailing arbutus, violets, whorled loosestrife, and woolgrass.
Animals of Central Mountain
Central Mountain is a habitat for many different animals.
Birds
Lots of bird species live on Central Mountain. These include four types of warblers, three types of vireos, the hermit thrush, the dark-eyed junco, the veery, the black-capped chickadee, the ovenbird, the gray catbird, the common yellowthroat, the scarlet tanager, the eastern towhee, and the eastern wood pewee.
Amphibians and Mammals
Amphibians that live on the mountain include wood frogs, pickerel frogs, dusky salamanders, and red spotted newts. For mammals, you can find white-tailed deer and black bears roaming the area.
