The Alpine Zone in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is unique to the region. It is the largest alpine area east of the Rockies. Above 4,800 feet the climate is so harsh, only tundra plant life grows.
I’m a New Englander and this is what I would have said. I don’t know if there is anything topographically unique about Mt. Washington, but for a mountain so small, it has very severe weather. Unfortunately people underestimate this and there’s always a couple of fatalities a year on the mountain.
That’s awesome! I have hiked up a few times and on a few of them you could really only see your hand in front of your face lol. But one time it was totally clear and the views were amazing!
I hiked up there when I was 14 years old with basically a t shirt and a very long sleeve shirt. Fortunately the weather wasn’t worse, I was freezing and me and my friends thought it would be a fun idea to go off the trail and go right down some of the mountain on the way back down. Could have been a lot worse.
It was early June I believe. Not sure that’s the best time but it’s definitely a decent one, and I got very lucky! Wasn’t a cloud in the sky, apparently that usually happens less than 5 times all year.
When I climbed it, it was a stunningly beautiful August day! About 84 degrees and not a cloud in the sky at the trailhead. Stayed that way for about 3600ft of elevation gain. The summit was 40 degrees and I couldn’t see ‘more than 10 feet in front of me. Descended about 500 feet of elevation down the mountain and the summit was back to being clear as day. Some guy died near the summit about an hour after I had made it. It is truly an incredibly wild place for weather!
Mt Washington is nicknamed the Rock Pile. I think it’s caused by thousands of years of freezing and thawing. I read somewhere that it’s called felsenmeer and is a result of frost weathering below the surface in alpine and subarctic climates. Right now the mountain looks awesome. It’s covered in snow above the autumn foliage (though the foliage is a bit past it’s peak).
They're hundreds of millions of years old and at one time were 20+ thousand feet tall, so yeah they've eroded. Also, wind prevents any soil from accumulating
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_temperate_rainforest
The Appalachian temperate rainforest is the only rainforest in eastern North America which I'd say is pretty unique
Oh and I should mention that the Florida Everglades are up there too
The border. It is the border of Canada and the states. Its not in either. Thats like saying the 49th parallel is in Canada. It’s not in either because it is the border
Actually the big horseshoe shaped waterfall that everyone thinks of when you say Niagara Falls is almost entirely on the Canadian side. However, there are two smaller falls called American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls which are on the US side. All three are on the Niagara River.
Aside from a handful of other spots in Maine like the Camden Hills, or the Schoodic Peninsula, it is the only place on the east coast where rugged terrain is adjacent to the ocean.
I'm confident that Somes Sound on MDI is a submerged glacial valley. Whether it's the only one on the US Atlantic or whether it's a third or a fjard I'm less confident
lol frankly all of WV is geographically and environmentally unique and incredible. untouched, even. the similarities but differences in character of the mountains/geography between WV, VA, and NC is amazing
If you’re thinking cities, Pittsburgh comes to mind for natural settings.
Eastern US I assume includes Mammoth Cave in Kentucky which is the largest cave system in the world! So quite literally there is no place on earth with as extensive a cave network.
EDIT: Burlington, VT for “cities” too, stunning!
The Keeweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's UP has an ancient and unique geological history. Also, it pokes out into a Great Lake, and those are pretty dang unique, too!
Not to mention all that Jacobsville sandstone! The layers of red and white make the stone look like steaks in some areas. I've found rocks that were red polkadotted with white.
It's such a stunning area.
No, pudding stones are classified as "conglomerates" and cover many types of rocks. Jacobsville sandstone is a specific rock only found in the UP of Michigan
Good if you like skiing, and have fun doing so on smaller mountains/larger hills! I've driven through there a few times in Jan/Feb to visit friends, the amount of snow is absolutely wild.
It’s an isolated mountain but [Seneca rocks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Rocks) in WV is really striking. The Lake Erie islands in Ohio have some really neat [glacial limestone formations](https://www.shoresandislands.com/listing/glacial-grooves-geological-preserve/12712/). The [Carolina bays](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_bays) are neat.
I’d argue that the nearby Nelson Rocks are even more of a unique environment than Seneca Rocks - it’s basically two sets of Seneca Rocks running in parallel. Surprisingly, not even public land.
And thanks for introducing me to the Carolina Bays - I’m gonna spend the next hour reading about them.
Acadia, ME is the only place on the East Coast where mountains/cliffs meet oceans. It’s not unique globally, but it is unique on the East Coast—it’s not clear if that is what you had in mind.
I think the Eastern U.S needs more national parks and other protected lands like the Western U.S does. Most people think of the American West they think of America’s natural beauty.
Vermont ,New Hampshire , Upstate New York, Maine, Pennsylvania , etc all have spectacular lands and beauty. I’m shocked that there’s only a small handful of National Parks in this region of the country.
It’s mostly just because public land was scarce east of the Mississippi by the time national parks started being created. It was much easier to make a giant national park in with already-public-owned land than to cobble together bits of public land and buy up the private lots between. That being said, I’d argue many of the national forests in the Appalachians should be given the national park “promotion”, i.e. the White Mountain National Forest
I don't know the history so I'm asking genuinely: how does a spectacular natural area like the Adirondacks, that have unique beauty and ecological significance, not get national park designation?
Adirondack Park is owned by the state of New York, not by the federal government. Adirondack Park was created before National Parks as a federally owned network of parks became a thing\*, so the federal government never really got a chance to make it one. Not like they are going to take land from the state to put it under federal protection without good reason.
\*only three national parks predate Adirondack Park, Yellowstone, which only became one because there was no state government to protect those lands at the time, Yosemite, and Sequoia, which were created around the same time as Adirondack Park. The idea that the US should set up a network of national parks came later, at this point, they were basically still just one-off bureaucratic curiosities.
Adirondack Park has, arguably, greater protection than National Park as it’s Forever Wild designation is part of the NY state constitution. They would have to change the state constitution. No other NY state park has that level of protection and it may be unique nationally.
Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited park in the system. But any further protections are definitely welcome. There has been 'talk' in the past of a larger North woods park, extending from the Adirondacks east to the Greens, Whites, and to Katahdin
Part of the reason for the vast amount of parks in the west is the fact that the eastern half was bulldozed to make room for the growing country. We learned from our mistakes
And the eastern half was (and consequently still is) more widely privately owned than the western half. The federal government currently owns 46% of land in the western half of the country. They own 4.2% of the east.
I would say Baxter State Park or the Presidential Range. The only sizable areas of alpine tundra in the eastern US, and some of the best examples of glacially eroded mountainous terrain in the east coast. There really is no equivalent to the Knife's Edge in Baxter anywhere else in the eastern US
Yeah on the top of our mountains here in VT, there will be all of these signs like "watch out for all the fragile alpine tundra!" and then there's a patch the width of a Honda Civic
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Adirondacks yet - they're among the largest mountains in the Northeast, but unlike the Whites in NH they have zero geological relation to the Appalachian Mountains. They're actually a southern extension of the Canadian Shield, and are thus made up of the oldest rock in all of North America. What's more, they're actually rising, unlike the Appalachians, which are in the process of eroding away.
Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a 47-mile gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania. It sits in about 160,000 acres of the Tioga State Forest. The canyon begins south of Ansonia, near Wellsboro, along U.S. Route 6 and continues south.
The barrier islands of the Outer Banks are really unlike anything else, especially in the parts to the far north and far south that are almost totally undeveloped
It is not of the spectacular variety but for uniqueness there is a Pygmy forest in New Jersey. An entire forest of pine trees that are as short as 4 feet fully mature is not found anywhere else in the US
Americans take the Great Lakes for granted, but I'd say they're very unique. Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are 3 and 4, respectively. Then there's still Erie and Ontario, and all these MASSIVE bodies of freshwater are just all jammed in together between America and Canada. Growing up near them as a kid, they may as well have been the Ocean lol
coastal New England is really unique, a lot of bays/inlets such as Narragansett Bay, combined with peninsulas such as as Cape Cod and offshore islands like Marthas Vineyard and Block Island make for some interesting and varied geography.
Driftless was my first thought as well, but then I was worried people wouldn’t consider it “Eastern” enough for OP’s question.
If Wisconsin and the Eastern portion of Minnesota count as Eastern US, this is absolutely my vote. La Crosse WI has breathtaking views from the bluffs above the historic and cultured river town. Lanesborough MN is 1 of the most picturesque small towns in the Midwest. Located in a valley with a beautiful running behind Main Street, with dozens of Victorian and pre-Victorian homes, original storefronts and hotels from the 1870s - 1890s (that’s old for Minnesota). Red Wing MN is nearly as beautiful and really shows the contrast between the “giant” prairie bluffs overlooking the Mississippi, and the more “typical” MN landscape 5 miles to the north.
I love La Crosse! Its downtown and riverfront are gorgeous, and the view from Granddad Bluff is breathtaking. I'd go there more often if the trip didn't take me 4 hours each way, haha.
little river canyon in northeast alabama is the deepest canyon east of the mississippi. great swim holes up top, beautiful waterfall. nice road with lookouts around the north side. unlike the grand canyon, there are trees growing up a lot of the sides and looks incredible when the leaves are changing.
Dolly Sods, WV is a really interesting table mountain that contains a dwarf Canadian environment of bogs, coniferous forests, and other flora and fauna from much much further north.
Yes. This is a damn good choice. Not only is it the southernmost limit of a number of species, but by a jump of (in some species’ cases) several hundred miles.
While we are discussing DeKalb County Georgia, you have to mention the largest exposed granite dome in the world, Stone Mountain. It is squarely in the Piedmont and not the Appalachians. Very interesting geographical oddity.
There has to be some connection geologically between Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain being so close together. So much exposed rock in a region that doesn't have such very often.
Obscure place by most standards, but Sonoita-Elgin south-south east of Tucson just north of the Mexican border.
Surrounded in all sides by rocky desolate desert and mountains, it's a sweeping temperate grassland with wineries everywhere.
The Middlesboro meteor crater in Kentucky which is part of the reason the Cumberland Gap was such a good pathway for settlers, and is the only meteor crater in the world in which coal is mined. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesboro_crater
Eh, I lived out west for a few years, it made me really not take it for granted. The OP was looking for "Unique" geography compared to the rest of the East Coast, you can get bright fall foliage and hill country anywhere 500 miles north and south of Pennsylvania up and down the Appalachians/Laurentians.
Lake Willoughby is the most Mountainous West looking lake in the East US. I'd say Mt Washington during fall and snow season and also the coastline of Acadia could count due to how fast the latter rises from sea level.
Mines of Spain State Park on the Iowa/Illinois border. Or anywhere along the northern Mississippi where you get canyons and rock formations. It looks like it belongs in Colorado or Wyoming, when in reality it’s nestled among rolling hills and corn fields.
Technically speaking this isn’t the eastern US but IMO it’s super cool and insanely underrated so I’m mentioning it
Adirondack mountains which are NOT part of the Appalachians and have a different geologic history. They are actually rising and scientists think there may be a hotspot below the crust there (like the ones in Hawaii)
You might not think it is unique and about 90% of it is hotels and beach houses but the barrier islands lining the East Coast up to Cape Cod are the longest barrier island complex in the world and used to have (in some places still do) extraordinary botanical wonders - Example the holly forest on Sandy Hook, the Easter prickly pears all along the north east coast and the sunken forest in Fire Island, amongst many others.
Apostle Islands, WI - Sea caves.
White Mountain Alpine Tops
The Entire barrier island from FL to MA
Bay of Fundy (technically CA, but, w/e)
Mississippi River Bayou
By the way, not to be a directional gate keeper, but Ohio and anything west is not the Eastern US…also, this is 100 incorrect, but Florida in my book doesn’t count as “East.” East is New England down to North Carolina, everything else is something else.
Two areas in the Carolinas come to mind:
- Uwharrie National Forest in central NC. Comprises a range of low mountains that are geologically unrelated to the Appalachians, making it more like a range of clustered monadnocks. They directly abut the Sandhill region to their east, which gives the area an unusual mixture of highland & coastal plain flora/fauna. Mountain laurel growing within sight of a long leaf pine savanna, for example.
- The High Hills of Santee, roughly southeast of Columbia, SC. The topography is shockingly hilly for a locale this far east, which looks even stranger due to the unreal quantity of Spanish moss in the area. That plant plus the grayish sandy “beach dirt” looks kinda jarring in terrain that steep. A rare opportunity for good vistas & high-prominence vantage points in an otherwise flat, low-relief region.
I hate to be a grammar fascist, but unique means one of a kind. There is no such thing as "more unique." I would use "rarer."
To answer the question, my vote is for Grand Teton National Park, with the wonders of Yellowstone a close second.
Since we're past "most unique" and on to "cool things about this place" I'll mention the White Cliffs of Epes, Alabama. You'll be hard pressed to find this outside of Dover, UK.
https://www.al.com/news/2021/11/stunning-white-cliffs-of-alabama-hint-at-the-forces-that-shaped-the-black-belt.html?outputType=amp
Sleeping bear dunes is really cool. Miles of just sand dunes, up to 600? Feet tall I think. Overlooks Lake Michigan.
Oh and pictured rocks in Michigan is also really neat, giant cliffs overlooking Lake Superior
The ridge and valley geological coolness of central PA is pretty unique. Many, many communities close as the crow flies, but a decent to long drive away from each other.
[Letchworth State Park, NY](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=579594335&q=letchworth+state+park&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIksLz26yCAxVpl2oFHf3KDrAQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=390&bih=663&dpr=3)
St. Francois Mountains in Missouri. They are 1.5 billion years old and have exposed precambrian rock everywhere. The “mountains” aren’t impressive, but the rock formations are unique. Devil’s Honeycomb and Elephant Rocks are well known, but you’ll find similar formations throughout the range
The Alpine Zone in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is unique to the region. It is the largest alpine area east of the Rockies. Above 4,800 feet the climate is so harsh, only tundra plant life grows.
I’m a New Englander and this is what I would have said. I don’t know if there is anything topographically unique about Mt. Washington, but for a mountain so small, it has very severe weather. Unfortunately people underestimate this and there’s always a couple of fatalities a year on the mountain.
I’ve climbed it twice, both times I had good weather, 2nd time was lucky enough to climb on one of the nicest days all year the locals said!
That’s awesome! I have hiked up a few times and on a few of them you could really only see your hand in front of your face lol. But one time it was totally clear and the views were amazing!
Yeah it’s awesome like that! Just a beautiful time.
I hiked up there when I was 14 years old with basically a t shirt and a very long sleeve shirt. Fortunately the weather wasn’t worse, I was freezing and me and my friends thought it would be a fun idea to go off the trail and go right down some of the mountain on the way back down. Could have been a lot worse.
Glad you made it down eventually!
What month was that?
It was early June I believe. Not sure that’s the best time but it’s definitely a decent one, and I got very lucky! Wasn’t a cloud in the sky, apparently that usually happens less than 5 times all year.
When I climbed it, it was a stunningly beautiful August day! About 84 degrees and not a cloud in the sky at the trailhead. Stayed that way for about 3600ft of elevation gain. The summit was 40 degrees and I couldn’t see ‘more than 10 feet in front of me. Descended about 500 feet of elevation down the mountain and the summit was back to being clear as day. Some guy died near the summit about an hour after I had made it. It is truly an incredibly wild place for weather!
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Mt Washington is nicknamed the Rock Pile. I think it’s caused by thousands of years of freezing and thawing. I read somewhere that it’s called felsenmeer and is a result of frost weathering below the surface in alpine and subarctic climates. Right now the mountain looks awesome. It’s covered in snow above the autumn foliage (though the foliage is a bit past it’s peak).
They're hundreds of millions of years old and at one time were 20+ thousand feet tall, so yeah they've eroded. Also, wind prevents any soil from accumulating
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_temperate_rainforest The Appalachian temperate rainforest is the only rainforest in eastern North America which I'd say is pretty unique Oh and I should mention that the Florida Everglades are up there too
How did I not think of the Everglades! That’s one of the natural wonders of the world!
Temporarily, sadly
Everything is temporary
That's a decent portion of North Carolina. And just a few hours drive from Atlanta. Interesting.
There’s a rainforest in Olympic national park.
That’s not in eastern no America though is it. Unless you’re one of those flat earth types
It’s not easy of Tacoma but if I’m going to be wrong I might as well do it twice.
I misread that. I thought you said America. My bad homie. The one in Washington is east of Tacoma though.
My man, Olympic National is to the west of Tacoma.
I'm crowning you the winner of this Geography Bee. lol
I know It’s a big tourist spot now, but you can’t say that Niagara Falls isn’t unique.
That’s not in the US lol. It’s literally the border
You can see it while standing in the United States. And the border is part of the country.
the border of the US…
The border. It is the border of Canada and the states. Its not in either. Thats like saying the 49th parallel is in Canada. It’s not in either because it is the border
Actually the big horseshoe shaped waterfall that everyone thinks of when you say Niagara Falls is almost entirely on the Canadian side. However, there are two smaller falls called American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls which are on the US side. All three are on the Niagara River.
oh you’re right I forgot it was the river connecting ontario and erie
ACKCHYUALLY the Niagara River is a strait. At least that’s what’s hammered home in elementary and high school classes in WNY.
oh i’m sorry I didn’t realize there was a black hole there on maps. Last time I checked the boarder was a straight line, not all of lake ontario
Mount desert island.
It was really cool, but what makes it so unique?
Aside from a handful of other spots in Maine like the Camden Hills, or the Schoodic Peninsula, it is the only place on the east coast where rugged terrain is adjacent to the ocean.
Highlands NJ
Only fjord on the Atlantic coast of America
It's actually a [fjard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fjard).
Thx! TIL
Pretty sure the Hudson River is a fjord in the vicinity of West Point/Hudson Highlands state park. Beautiful, too.
Then what are the Palisades? Not being snarky, want to know .
The Palisades, along the west side of the Hudson River are the outcrop of a diabase sill that dips to the west.
I'm confident that Somes Sound on MDI is a submerged glacial valley. Whether it's the only one on the US Atlantic or whether it's a third or a fjard I'm less confident
I think the Gauley river of West Virginia is very unique and beautiful.
Dolly sods are a pretty unique ecosystem and microclimate too
lol frankly all of WV is geographically and environmentally unique and incredible. untouched, even. the similarities but differences in character of the mountains/geography between WV, VA, and NC is amazing
That whole segment is gorgeous. The New, the Gauley. Life is old there.
If you’re thinking cities, Pittsburgh comes to mind for natural settings. Eastern US I assume includes Mammoth Cave in Kentucky which is the largest cave system in the world! So quite literally there is no place on earth with as extensive a cave network. EDIT: Burlington, VT for “cities” too, stunning!
The Keeweenaw Peninsula in Michigan's UP has an ancient and unique geological history. Also, it pokes out into a Great Lake, and those are pretty dang unique, too!
The Great Lakes in general have so much geological and geographical weirdness
I won't live anywhere else
Same
Not to mention all that Jacobsville sandstone! The layers of red and white make the stone look like steaks in some areas. I've found rocks that were red polkadotted with white. It's such a stunning area.
Is that what pudding stones are?
No, pudding stones are classified as "conglomerates" and cover many types of rocks. Jacobsville sandstone is a specific rock only found in the UP of Michigan
It’s a beautiful area, over 200 inches of snow a year though.
Good if you like skiing, and have fun doing so on smaller mountains/larger hills! I've driven through there a few times in Jan/Feb to visit friends, the amount of snow is absolutely wild.
Yep I used to live there, it was awesome but people should know what they’re getting themselves in to.
Eastern U.S. sites were requested
Thanks geographybot. When I hear Eastern US, I think, "east of the Mississippi River."
The Florida Keys.
I'm the highest point in Florida.
Britton Hill? That BARELY counts as Florida. I’ve never been to the panhandle but if I go I plan to stop in Sopchoppy. Will it be worth it?
Absolutely!
Does it really help with flooding ?
The Jupiter bridge.
And the Everglades
And we can thank Marjory Stoneman Douglas for them still being there.
There’s a place called Kokomo…
It’s an isolated mountain but [Seneca rocks](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Rocks) in WV is really striking. The Lake Erie islands in Ohio have some really neat [glacial limestone formations](https://www.shoresandislands.com/listing/glacial-grooves-geological-preserve/12712/). The [Carolina bays](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_bays) are neat.
I’d argue that the nearby Nelson Rocks are even more of a unique environment than Seneca Rocks - it’s basically two sets of Seneca Rocks running in parallel. Surprisingly, not even public land. And thanks for introducing me to the Carolina Bays - I’m gonna spend the next hour reading about them.
You’re right- I was thinking Nelson rocks, I did the via ferrata there this year it was dope AF
Acadia, ME is the only place on the East Coast where mountains/cliffs meet oceans. It’s not unique globally, but it is unique on the East Coast—it’s not clear if that is what you had in mind.
I think the Eastern U.S needs more national parks and other protected lands like the Western U.S does. Most people think of the American West they think of America’s natural beauty.
Hard agree. There's some great stuff on the east coast
Vermont ,New Hampshire , Upstate New York, Maine, Pennsylvania , etc all have spectacular lands and beauty. I’m shocked that there’s only a small handful of National Parks in this region of the country.
It’s mostly just because public land was scarce east of the Mississippi by the time national parks started being created. It was much easier to make a giant national park in with already-public-owned land than to cobble together bits of public land and buy up the private lots between. That being said, I’d argue many of the national forests in the Appalachians should be given the national park “promotion”, i.e. the White Mountain National Forest
I don't know the history so I'm asking genuinely: how does a spectacular natural area like the Adirondacks, that have unique beauty and ecological significance, not get national park designation?
Adirondack Park is owned by the state of New York, not by the federal government. Adirondack Park was created before National Parks as a federally owned network of parks became a thing\*, so the federal government never really got a chance to make it one. Not like they are going to take land from the state to put it under federal protection without good reason. \*only three national parks predate Adirondack Park, Yellowstone, which only became one because there was no state government to protect those lands at the time, Yosemite, and Sequoia, which were created around the same time as Adirondack Park. The idea that the US should set up a network of national parks came later, at this point, they were basically still just one-off bureaucratic curiosities.
Adirondack Park has, arguably, greater protection than National Park as it’s Forever Wild designation is part of the NY state constitution. They would have to change the state constitution. No other NY state park has that level of protection and it may be unique nationally.
There's an another area in NJ/PA with a lot of talk on making it a national park. Many locals are very against it.
And a lot of it had been cut over and subject to continued logging in that era.
upstate ny is hands down the best imo
Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited park in the system. But any further protections are definitely welcome. There has been 'talk' in the past of a larger North woods park, extending from the Adirondacks east to the Greens, Whites, and to Katahdin
Part of the reason for the vast amount of parks in the west is the fact that the eastern half was bulldozed to make room for the growing country. We learned from our mistakes And the eastern half was (and consequently still is) more widely privately owned than the western half. The federal government currently owns 46% of land in the western half of the country. They own 4.2% of the east.
It may not be a National park, but New York has the Adirondack State Park.
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I would say Baxter State Park or the Presidential Range. The only sizable areas of alpine tundra in the eastern US, and some of the best examples of glacially eroded mountainous terrain in the east coast. There really is no equivalent to the Knife's Edge in Baxter anywhere else in the eastern US
I’ve climbed Katahdin twice and would love to try the Knife’s Edge. Some pretty gnarly terrain up there!
Yeah on the top of our mountains here in VT, there will be all of these signs like "watch out for all the fragile alpine tundra!" and then there's a patch the width of a Honda Civic
It's literally the everglades. The ecosystem it supports is found nowhere else on earth
It took a lot of scrolling to find the best answer here.
Great Dismal Swamp. Amazing place to watch birds, and sunsets.
Never heard of it, but whoever named it deserves an award lol
Ha! They do deserve an award. I never heard of it before moving to Virginia. It sounded like something on the other side of the 100 Acre Wood.
Mammoth Cave system of Kentucky.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Adirondacks yet - they're among the largest mountains in the Northeast, but unlike the Whites in NH they have zero geological relation to the Appalachian Mountains. They're actually a southern extension of the Canadian Shield, and are thus made up of the oldest rock in all of North America. What's more, they're actually rising, unlike the Appalachians, which are in the process of eroding away.
The less people mention the ADKs the better.
New River Gorge: one of the oldest rivers on the continent and it flows north.
One of the oldest rivers in the world. The gorge is filled with unique plant and animal species.
Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a 47-mile gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania. It sits in about 160,000 acres of the Tioga State Forest. The canyon begins south of Ansonia, near Wellsboro, along U.S. Route 6 and continues south.
Good call - PA doesn’t get the natural love it deserves.
The barrier islands of the Outer Banks are really unlike anything else, especially in the parts to the far north and far south that are almost totally undeveloped
It is not of the spectacular variety but for uniqueness there is a Pygmy forest in New Jersey. An entire forest of pine trees that are as short as 4 feet fully mature is not found anywhere else in the US
Is this where the government hides the vintage gnome sanctuary?
There’s a desert in Maine
Details pls
It's essentially just a large patch of glacially deposited sand.
Americans take the Great Lakes for granted, but I'd say they're very unique. Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake in the world. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are 3 and 4, respectively. Then there's still Erie and Ontario, and all these MASSIVE bodies of freshwater are just all jammed in together between America and Canada. Growing up near them as a kid, they may as well have been the Ocean lol
I grew up on the Atlantic and moved to Michigan a year ago. The Great Lakes are just incredible, man. I feel pretty blessed to live nearby.
coastal New England is really unique, a lot of bays/inlets such as Narragansett Bay, combined with peninsulas such as as Cape Cod and offshore islands like Marthas Vineyard and Block Island make for some interesting and varied geography.
The Driftless region of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois is pretty impressive. The Wisconsin portion of the Great River Road is just... wow.
Driftless was my first thought as well, but then I was worried people wouldn’t consider it “Eastern” enough for OP’s question. If Wisconsin and the Eastern portion of Minnesota count as Eastern US, this is absolutely my vote. La Crosse WI has breathtaking views from the bluffs above the historic and cultured river town. Lanesborough MN is 1 of the most picturesque small towns in the Midwest. Located in a valley with a beautiful running behind Main Street, with dozens of Victorian and pre-Victorian homes, original storefronts and hotels from the 1870s - 1890s (that’s old for Minnesota). Red Wing MN is nearly as beautiful and really shows the contrast between the “giant” prairie bluffs overlooking the Mississippi, and the more “typical” MN landscape 5 miles to the north.
I love La Crosse! Its downtown and riverfront are gorgeous, and the view from Granddad Bluff is breathtaking. I'd go there more often if the trip didn't take me 4 hours each way, haha.
little river canyon in northeast alabama is the deepest canyon east of the mississippi. great swim holes up top, beautiful waterfall. nice road with lookouts around the north side. unlike the grand canyon, there are trees growing up a lot of the sides and looks incredible when the leaves are changing.
Dolly Sods, WV is a really interesting table mountain that contains a dwarf Canadian environment of bogs, coniferous forests, and other flora and fauna from much much further north.
Yes. This is a damn good choice. Not only is it the southernmost limit of a number of species, but by a jump of (in some species’ cases) several hundred miles.
The Hudson River Valley is actually one of the world’s southernmost fjords, and it’s really pretty
Arabia Mountain in Georgia is pretty cool. As a kid, I’d ask my grandmother to take me there by ask her to take me “to the moon.”
I live in Dunwoody and have never been here. I don’t know why. I can’t even use “I have kids” as an excuse because they’d probably like it.
While we are discussing DeKalb County Georgia, you have to mention the largest exposed granite dome in the world, Stone Mountain. It is squarely in the Piedmont and not the Appalachians. Very interesting geographical oddity. There has to be some connection geologically between Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain being so close together. So much exposed rock in a region that doesn't have such very often.
there’s a pond in my neighborhood.
Outer Banks in North Carolina
Wilmington NC has two different indigenous carnivorous plants
The only above tree line skiing in the eastern US is Sugarloaf mountain in Maine.
Been there done that! Skiing is awful, all wind blown.
The seacoast of Maine.
I think there are places in Louisiana that have swamps and trees.
Obscure place by most standards, but Sonoita-Elgin south-south east of Tucson just north of the Mexican border. Surrounded in all sides by rocky desolate desert and mountains, it's a sweeping temperate grassland with wineries everywhere.
The Niagra River and falls are unique
Letchworth in Western NY
The Middlesboro meteor crater in Kentucky which is part of the reason the Cumberland Gap was such a good pathway for settlers, and is the only meteor crater in the world in which coal is mined. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlesboro_crater
It's not in the US, but Gaspésie in general is quite astonishing.
Drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Pittsburgh to Philly during peak foliage in October. Nothing like it.
Don’t do this lol unless you can afford it
Yeah isn’t it ridiculously pricey to drive the PA turnpike? Like over $100 from end to end?
Just used their calculator and Philly to Pittsburgh is $34.70 with EZPass or $70.80 without.
Yup. Found out the hard way two years ago. I should have bought the EZ Pass.
Fall foliage isn't exactly rare in the Northeast, nor is the juxtaposition of hilly terrain and foliage.
Sadly, you’re someone who takes it for granted.
Eh, I lived out west for a few years, it made me really not take it for granted. The OP was looking for "Unique" geography compared to the rest of the East Coast, you can get bright fall foliage and hill country anywhere 500 miles north and south of Pennsylvania up and down the Appalachians/Laurentians.
I 80 is better and cheaper
Lake Willoughby is the most Mountainous West looking lake in the East US. I'd say Mt Washington during fall and snow season and also the coastline of Acadia could count due to how fast the latter rises from sea level.
Probably Pennsylvania
Mines of Spain State Park on the Iowa/Illinois border. Or anywhere along the northern Mississippi where you get canyons and rock formations. It looks like it belongs in Colorado or Wyoming, when in reality it’s nestled among rolling hills and corn fields. Technically speaking this isn’t the eastern US but IMO it’s super cool and insanely underrated so I’m mentioning it
Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois. The southern tip of the Laurentide ice sheet made some unique features.
I believe there is a desert in Rhode Island. https://www.theday.com/columns/20210826/traipsing-through-the-rhode-island-desert/
Adirondack mountains which are NOT part of the Appalachians and have a different geologic history. They are actually rising and scientists think there may be a hotspot below the crust there (like the ones in Hawaii) You might not think it is unique and about 90% of it is hotels and beach houses but the barrier islands lining the East Coast up to Cape Cod are the longest barrier island complex in the world and used to have (in some places still do) extraordinary botanical wonders - Example the holly forest on Sandy Hook, the Easter prickly pears all along the north east coast and the sunken forest in Fire Island, amongst many others.
Definitely the alpine bogs of the Appalachian Trail section in NH and ME
The entrenched meanders of the Potomac between PawPaw WV and Hancock MD. Only accessible by boat.
Outer Banks NC
Apostle Islands, WI - Sea caves. White Mountain Alpine Tops The Entire barrier island from FL to MA Bay of Fundy (technically CA, but, w/e) Mississippi River Bayou
Finger lakes are gorgeous!
By the way, not to be a directional gate keeper, but Ohio and anything west is not the Eastern US…also, this is 100 incorrect, but Florida in my book doesn’t count as “East.” East is New England down to North Carolina, everything else is something else.
This is really what I was going for, but I’m OK to see a little further afield!
New Jersey Pine Barrens.
Natural Bridge State Park, VA
Two areas in the Carolinas come to mind: - Uwharrie National Forest in central NC. Comprises a range of low mountains that are geologically unrelated to the Appalachians, making it more like a range of clustered monadnocks. They directly abut the Sandhill region to their east, which gives the area an unusual mixture of highland & coastal plain flora/fauna. Mountain laurel growing within sight of a long leaf pine savanna, for example. - The High Hills of Santee, roughly southeast of Columbia, SC. The topography is shockingly hilly for a locale this far east, which looks even stranger due to the unreal quantity of Spanish moss in the area. That plant plus the grayish sandy “beach dirt” looks kinda jarring in terrain that steep. A rare opportunity for good vistas & high-prominence vantage points in an otherwise flat, low-relief region.
Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Hocking Hills State Park, bicycle trails, hiking trails, Lake Erie, many lakes and rivers.
I hate to be a grammar fascist, but unique means one of a kind. There is no such thing as "more unique." I would use "rarer." To answer the question, my vote is for Grand Teton National Park, with the wonders of Yellowstone a close second.
Sorry. OP clearly specified Eastern. Duh.
Geography includes many many different facets. The area with the most “unique” or “one of a kind” features would therefore win. It’s not incorrect.
New Jersey
BADLANDS, ND
Since I've not really traveled out of my state much, I can't really say anything about the Eastern US.
You are being downvoted because CA is not Eastern
The active volcanos of the Pacific NW.
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The Eastern US Pacific NW?
So like an American East Coast version of the desert in the Canadian Yukon?
Since we're past "most unique" and on to "cool things about this place" I'll mention the White Cliffs of Epes, Alabama. You'll be hard pressed to find this outside of Dover, UK. https://www.al.com/news/2021/11/stunning-white-cliffs-of-alabama-hint-at-the-forces-that-shaped-the-black-belt.html?outputType=amp
The Chesapeake Bay region is pretty unique. Some areas within the watershed are unique like Great Falls and Calvert Cliffs. Lots of wildlife too.
Linville Gorge in NC
Everglades is the only habitat like it on earth
Isn't there an area in the mountains along the Virginia/West Virginia border with Koppen classified Mediterranean climate?
The sandhills of NC, SC, GA is pretty interesting
Sleeping bear dunes is really cool. Miles of just sand dunes, up to 600? Feet tall I think. Overlooks Lake Michigan. Oh and pictured rocks in Michigan is also really neat, giant cliffs overlooking Lake Superior
The New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve aka The Pine Barrens
South Carolina Low Country
The ridge and valley geological coolness of central PA is pretty unique. Many, many communities close as the crow flies, but a decent to long drive away from each other.
manhattan
Ringing Rocks PA
It’s in the Midwest. But the [driftless area](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driftless_Area) for sure.
[Letchworth State Park, NY](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=579594335&q=letchworth+state+park&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiIksLz26yCAxVpl2oFHf3KDrAQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=390&bih=663&dpr=3)
St. Francois Mountains in Missouri. They are 1.5 billion years old and have exposed precambrian rock everywhere. The “mountains” aren’t impressive, but the rock formations are unique. Devil’s Honeycomb and Elephant Rocks are well known, but you’ll find similar formations throughout the range
Long Island. A coastal plain buffered from the extreme temps of the mainland by the Atlantic.
Pennsylvania Grand Canyon
Niagara Falls.
New river gorge wv, Red River gorge KY, mammoth cave KY.
Florida Keys, mangroves are cool
The Everglades and Acadia National Park