Looking Glass Rock

Last updated
Looking Glass Rock
Looking Glass Rock.jpg
Highest point
Elevation 3,969 ft (1,210 m)  NAVD 88 [1]
Coordinates 35°18′13″N82°47′36″W / 35.3037213°N 82.7934611°W / 35.3037213; -82.7934611 Coordinates: 35°18′13″N82°47′36″W / 35.3037213°N 82.7934611°W / 35.3037213; -82.7934611 [2]
Geography
USA North Carolina relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Looking Glass Rock
Location in North Carolina
Location Transylvania County, North Carolina, U.S.
Parent range Appalachian Mountains
Topo map USGS Shining Rock

Looking Glass Rock is a pluton monolith in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, United States.

Pluton body of intrusive igneous rocks

In geology, a pluton is a body of intrusive igneous rock that is crystallized from magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. While pluton is a general term to describe an intrusive igneous body, there has been some confusion around the world as to what is the definition of a pluton. Pluton has been used to describe any non-tabular intrusive body, and batholith has been used to describe systems of plutons. In other literature, batholith and pluton have been used interchangeably. In central Europe, smaller bodies are described as batholiths and larger bodies as plutons. In practice the term pluton most often means a non-tabular igneous intrusive body. The most common rock types in plutons are granite, granodiorite, tonalite, monzonite, and quartz diorite. Generally light colored, coarse-grained plutons of these compositions are referred to as granitoids. Examples of plutons include Denali in Alaska; Cuillin in Skye, Scotland; Cardinal Peak in Washington State; Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia; and Stone Mountain in the US state of Georgia.

Monolith Stone block made of one single piece; object made of one single rock piece.

A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains, or a single large piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument or building. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock.

Appalachian Mountains mountain range in the eastern United States and Canada, and France

The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They once reached elevations similar to those of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains before experiencing natural erosion. The Appalachian chain is a barrier to east–west travel, as it forms a series of alternating ridgelines and valleys oriented in opposition to most highways and railroads running east–west.

Contents

Description

Looking Glass Rock from the Art Loeb Trail LookingGlassRockFromPilotZoom.jpg
Looking Glass Rock from the Art Loeb Trail
Looking Glass Rock in the rain Looking Glass Rock in the rain, October 2016.jpg
Looking Glass Rock in the rain

The mountain is located within Pisgah National Forest about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northwest of Brevard and 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Asheville. Named for the way its granite face reflects the sunshine, it rises from the valley floor to an elevation of almost 4,000 feet (1,200 m).

Pisgah National Forest A national forest in North Carolina

Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina. The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. There are local ranger district offices located in Pisgah Forest, Mars Hill, and Nebo.

Brevard, North Carolina City in North Carolina, United States

Brevard is a city in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 7,609 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Transylvania County.

Asheville, North Carolina City in North Carolina, United States

Asheville is a city and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 12th-most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 89,121 according to 2016 estimates. It is the principal city in the five-county Asheville metropolitan area, with a population of 424,858 in 2010.

Trails from Forest Service Road 475 and 475B lead to the top of the mountain. It is a moderate/strenuous trail climbing 1700 ft over 3.1 miles to its peak where panoramic views can be seen. There is a flat slab on the top, that can be used as a helipad. [3]

Helipad landing area or platform for helicopters

A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft.

Panorama taken from Looking Glass Rock, 2013 Pano Looking Glass Rock.jpg
Panorama taken from Looking Glass Rock, 2013

Looking Glass Rock is a popular rock climbing destination. Whether it is free climbing, multi-pitch or aid climbing, dozens of routes traverse the South Face, North Face, Nose Area, Sun Wall, Invisible Wall and Hidden Wall to the top of the mountain.

Rock climbing sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Professional rock climbing competitions have the objectives of either completing the route in the quickest possible time or attaining the farthest point on an increasingly difficult route.

Free climbing

Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist progress. The climber makes progress by using physical ability to move over the rock via handholds and footholds. Free climbing more specifically may include solo climbing, traditional climbing, sport climbing and bouldering. Free climbing a multi-pitch route means free-climbing each of its pitches in a single session. At the end of each pitch, climbers are allowed to anchor themselves to belay stations and rest. If they fail climbing a pitch, they are allowed to use the rope to return to the beginning of that pitch and try it again.

From the top of Looking Glass Rock, panoramic views can be seen of the Blue Ridge Parkway and surrounding mountains of Transylvania County.

Blue Ridge Parkway scenic parkway in the United States

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Its southern terminus is at U.S. 441 on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee Indian Reservation in North Carolina, from which it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The roadway continues through Shenandoah as Skyline Drive, a similar scenic road which is managed by a different National Park Service unit. Both Skyline Drive and the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway are part of Virginia State Route 48, though this designation is not signed.

See also

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References

  1. "Looking Glass Rock, North Carolina". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  2. "Looking Glass Rock". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey . Retrieved 2012-12-26.
  3. Looking Glass Rock Best Hike

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