Georgia's Appalachian Physiographic Provinces: Valley & Ridge and Blue Ridge

Two of Georgia's physiographic provinces belong to the Appalachian Mountain chain:

Valley and Ridge Province (NW Georgia)

• Long, parallel ridges (sandstone/conglomerate) and valleys (limestone/shale).
• Extends from NY to AL; in GA: Lookout Mountain, Pigeon Mountain, Chickamauga Valley.
• Resources: limestone, chert, groundwater, forestry.

Blue Ridge Province (NE Georgia)

• High, rugged metamorphic mountains (Blue Ridge Mtns), heavily forested.
• Includes Brasstown Bald (GA's highest point, 4,784 ft), Cohutta Wilderness.
• Headwaters of Chattahoochee, Savannah, Etowah rivers.
• Resources: timber, gold (historical), recreation.

The Piedmont and Coastal Plain lie south of the Fall Line and are not part of the Appalachians proper.