- Mount Jefferson (North Carolina)
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For other mountains named Mount Jefferson, see Mount Jefferson.
Mount Jefferson Elevation 4,665 ft (1,422 m) Location Location Ashe County, North Carolina, USA Coordinates 36°24′11″N 81°27′48″W / 36.40306°N 81.46333°WCoordinates: 36°24′11″N 81°27′48″W / 36.40306°N 81.46333°W Topo map USGS Jefferson Climbing Easiest route Drive, hike Mount Jefferson is a mountain located in Ashe County, North Carolina. The mountain is part of the Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. The mountain has an elevation of 4,665 feet (1,422 m) above sea level, and it sharply rises more than 1,600 feet above the towns of Jefferson, North Carolina and West Jefferson. Before the American Civil War the mountain was a popular hiding place for slaves who had escaped from their owners in the central and eastern sections of North Carolina. As a result, the peak was named "Nigger Mountain," then later the less offensive "Negro Mountain" for many years. Approximately thirty years ago, in an effort to find a less-racially offensive name, the mountain was renamed Mount Jefferson after the town at its base. A paved road leads to the mountain's summit; on a clear day the summit affords sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, the towns of Jefferson and West Jefferson, and the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
See also
External links
- North Carolina State Park - Mount Jefferson
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mount Jefferson
Categories:- Mountains of North Carolina
- Geography of Ashe County, North Carolina
- North Carolina geography stubs
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