Along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia is a fascinating rock formation called “Dragon’s Tooth”. It sits atop of a mountain by the same name, and is one of the three “Crown Jewels” of the state beloved by nature-seekers, backpackers, and the like.
The photos show first the obvious tooth formation, and second is a rock scramble up the other side for those who want to climb up the back — you crawl through the tunnel. The last is the view from on top of the tooth, looking out over Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
The rocks of this formation are ancient — over 400 million years old. Formed from sedimentary sandstone and shale, they were compressed over time to make the Tuscarora quartzite characteristic of many cliff outcroppings from Virginia north to Pennsylvania.
