The rocks shown here lie along the Appalachian Trail close to Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, and are part of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Formed over 200 million years ago, the fact that these peaks are relatively small (the highest – in North Carolina – is only just over 6,600 feet) belie their antiquity. Much of the range in Pennsylvania and northbound are made up of igneous and metamorphic rocks – in Pennsylvania they are so ubiquitous that hikers refer to the state as “Rocksylvania.” (Note: this is not a term of endearment.)
