The Mountains of Central North Carolina

You don’t have to travel all the way to Western North Carolina to see mountains. There are mountains, or more accurately, what is left of them, running across Central North Carolina. These are the Uwharries, an ancient, eroded range of small mountains, rising no more than 1,800 feet above sea level, and having attractions that few other small mountains possess. The local people have known of them and of the mysteries and legends associated with the history of Randolph County for ages. The Uwharrie Mountains were formed as part of a chain of volcanic islands, perhaps similar to Japan or other volcanic chains in the Western Pacific that exist today. The age of the volcanic rocks is dated by radiometric methods at 586 million years to the Early Cambrian or Late Precambrian periods.
For the outdoor recreationist, the Asheboro area includes a national forest, a state park, a North Carolina zoo, old abandoned gold mines, and legends of ancient Indian villages. The one mountain in the Uwharrie Range that stands out more than any other is Ridges Mountain, whose 300-year history, unique landscape, legends, and mysteries make Ridges Mountain a place of merit.
Ridges Mountain

Ridges Mountain is not a very high mountain; it just makes a big impression on visitors who see the unusual stacked rock formations for the first time. They experience a sense of remoteness, a sensation of stepping back in time to when the earth was young. A large number and variety of visitors come to climb the mountain, from all parts of the country, who have learned of Ridges Mountain through newspaper and magazine articles, historic and technical publications, TV, and word-of-mouth.

This fantastic black granite formation located on the south end and southwestern slopes of Ridges Mountain should be preserved for education and enjoyment for all generations, rather than be mined for dimension building stones, as some have recommended. 

Home Legend of Ridges Mountain Geological Significance Indian Village

Cathedral Rock Geological Significance Ridges Mountain is known by the local natives as the “Jewel of the Uwharries.” The southern peak and southwestern slope of this Northern Uwharrie Mountain is covered with gigantic volcanic boulders. Most of these huge boulders are strewn over more than 50 acres and reach heights of about 50 to 100 feet. Huge rocks stand as towering monuments dotting the landscape. The owner, since youth, has spent many treasured hours walking among and admiring the great sentinels of stone that stand watch on Ridges Mountain. Even today, the silent sentinels shield the secret of that long lost cave. Before the 1849 gold strike in California, Ridges Mountain was known as “Green Mountain” by the early gold prospectors. They named it “Green Mountain” after the dark green coloration of the volcanic rock found at this location. Tremendous Gabbro formations of black granite are found on Ridges Mountain. This stone is considered to be the premium material for beauty and durability. Only buildings made of stone have survived from ancient times. This fantastic black granite formation located on the south end and southwestern slopes of Ridges Mountain should be preserved for education and enjoyment for all generations, rather than be mined for dimension building stones, as some have recommended.  Home Legend of Ridges Mountain Geological Significance Indian Village Indian Head Rock Indian Village In the first half of the Twentieth Century, an ancient village site was revealed by a farmer’s plow. Thus, the long lost Keyauwee Indian Village was rediscovered on the Carraway and later excavated by the Archaeological Society of North Carolina about 1936. It was near this spot or on top of Ridges Mountain, the tribunal meeting place, that John Lawson met the most beautiful Indian maiden he had seen in all his New World travels. She was the daughter of the “Queen," of the Keyauwee Indians. In Lawson’s own words she was “the beautifullest Indian I ever saw, and had an air of majesty with her...” His description of this young Indian maiden, endowed with all the graces and charms of a true princess, inspires the imagination. This Indian maiden deserves a kinder fate than to disappear from history after only a brief mention as the princess at the Indian village, Keyauwee. It has been suggested by many that a monument to honor this 18th Century Indian maiden be erected on top of Ridges Mountain. North Carolina can well afford to place a monument or statue in her memory and to honor all Native Americans. It would be fitting if this monument was crafted from the naturally occurring black granite found in abundance on the south end of Ridges Mountain. More than 125 acres of land located on the southern pinnacle of Ridges Mountain is being leased from Mr. Crotts by John Wesley College for preservation and educational use.