| Camelback Mountain (Big Pocono) | |
|---|---|
Big Pocono from Spring Lake | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,133 ft (650 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Monroe County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Parent range | Appalachian Mountains, Pocono Mountains |
Camelback Mountain or Big Pocono is a conspicuous geographic feature on the Pocono Plateau. It is not a mountain, but rather a peninsular section of the Pocono Plateau, that when viewed from three sides, appears to be a mountain. The summit of Big Pocono "Mountain" is actually nearly level with land to the west and northwest, together comprising the top of the Glaciated Pocono Plateau, which is part of the larger Allegheny Plateau.
In geology and physical geography, a plateau, also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain, that is raised significantly above the surrounding area, often with one or more sides with steep slopes. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental.
The Allegheny Plateau, in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divided into the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau and the glaciated Allegheny Plateau.
The Pocono Plateau, a distinctive geologic feature not to be confused with the larger Pocono Mountains, is a glaciated plateau formed during at least three glacial movements. As glaciers moved south from Canada, they scraped flat what is now the plateau. The Glacier Movements also created other distinctive features of this region, including peat bogs and swamps, which resulted when glacial scour produced un-drained scars on the plateau's surface. Examples of depressions created by glacial scour include Deep Lake and Wolf Swamp just west of Big Pocono State Park. [1]
Big Pocono State Park is a 1,305.6-acre (528.4 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Jackson and Pocono townships in Monroe County, Pennsylvania in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Camelback Mountain and is maintained jointly by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Camelback Ski Corporation.
Big Pocono's distinctive shape, hence its nickname, and 1,000 ft prominence above land to the south, east, and north makes it plainly visible from the east and south. However, this feature is not apparent when viewed from the west.
In topography, prominence measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contour line encircling it but containing no higher summit within it. It is a measure of the independence of a summit. A peak's key col is a unique point on this contour line and the parent peak is some higher mountain, selected according to various objective criteria.
Big Pocono is home to a ski area called Camelback Mountain Resort and Big Pocono State Park. The park lies on the summit of the mountain, where there are hiking trails and picnic tables. Views from the summit are extensive. On a clear day the Delaware Water Gap, High Point (New Jersey) and the Catskill Mountains in New York State can be seen. [2]
Camelback Mountain Resort is a ski and snowboard resort located in the Pocono Mountains region in Pocono Township and Jackson Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, adjacent to, and partially within Big Pocono State Park. In the 1950s when developers were working to expand the original solitary ski run, they negotiated with the then PA DER for permission to use a small portion of the state park for the ski area in exchange for $1 a year and the obligation to maintain the entire park.
The Delaware Water Gap is a water gap on the border of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. The gap constitutes the southern portion of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, which is used primarily for recreational purposes, such as rafting, canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking, and rock climbing.
High Point is a mountain peak within High Point State Park on the border of Wantage Township and Montague Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the portion of the state known as the Skylands, it is the highest elevation in the state, with a peak elevation of 1,803 feet. The closest city is Port Jervis, New York,which lies to the northwest. Besides being the highest peak in New Jersey, High Point is also the highest peak of the Kittatinny Mountains. Three states – New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania – can be seen from the top.
