Major Plateaus and Mountain Regions of North Carolina

North Carolina features two primary physiographic provinces:

1. Allegheny Plateau (Western NC)

Characterized by parallel mountain ridges: Blue Ridge, Unaka, Balsam, and Great Smoky Mountains. The Allegheny Front is a steep escarpment separating eastern and western regions. The Blue Ridge Mountains form the Eastern Continental Divide—rivers west flow to the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Atlantic.

2. Piedmont Plateau (Central NC)

Gently rolling terrain between the mountains and the Coastal Plain. Home to major cities: Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro. Includes the Sandhills (ancient coastal dunes) and the Uwharrie Mountains (low, ancient range).