or Blue Ridge Mountains
Section of the Appalachian Mountains , eastern U.S. The range extends from near Harpers Ferry , W.Va.
, southwest across Virginia and North Carolina into Georgia; it is sometimes considered to include a northern extension into Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The highest peaks are in the Black Mountains of North Carolina; the average elevation is 2,0004,000 ft (6001,200 m). The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, established in 1936 and administered by the National Park Service, runs 470 mi (756 km) along the crest.