Humpback Mountain (North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Humpback Mountain |
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 Humpback Mountain
Location in North Carolina
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,245 ft (1,294 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Avery County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Parent range | Blue Ridge Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Linville Falls |
Humpback Mountain is a cool mountain located in the western part of North Carolina. It's part of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and sits inside the huge Pisgah National Forest. You can find it southwest of a town called Linville Falls.
This mountain is easy to reach! The famous Blue Ridge Parkway actually runs right along its eastern side. Humpback Mountain stands tall at about 4,245 feet (1,294 m) high. Most of the mountain is in Avery County, but a part of it also stretches into McDowell County. On its western side, two long ridges, called Mill Ridge and Dividing Ridge, stretch out.
Water Flow and the Continental Divide
Humpback Mountain is special because it's split by the Eastern Continental Divide. Imagine a line across the land where water on one side flows to the Atlantic Ocean, and water on the other side flows to the Gulf of Mexico. That's what a continental divide does!
For Humpback Mountain:
- Water on the eastern side flows into the North Fork Catawba River.
- Water on the western side flows into the North Toe River.
This means the mountain helps decide where a lot of the local water ends up!
Protecting the Mountain
People care a lot about keeping places like Humpback Mountain safe and natural. On December 5, 2013, a group called the Conservation Trust of North Carolina bought a large piece of land on the mountain. They paid $2.5 million for about 523 acres (2.12 km2) of land right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A "conservation trust" is an organization that works to protect land from being developed. Their goal is to keep natural areas wild and healthy. The land bought on Humpback Mountain will eventually be given to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. This commission will then own and manage the land, making sure it stays protected for animals and plants, and for people to enjoy responsibly.
