The Blue Ridge of Virginia is a narrow highland between the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge. It contains both the oldest rocks and the highest mountain in the Commonwealth.
Quick answer: The Blue Ridge of Virginia is the highland province west of the Piedmont. Its core rocks formed about 1.0 to 1.2 billion years ago, the oldest in the state. Mount Rogers, at about 5,729 feet, is the highest point in Virginia.
Contents
Shape of the Province
The Blue Ridge is a distinct highland province. In central and northern Virginia its peaks rise above 1,200 meters (about 4,000 feet), with local relief of up to 1,000 meters. In southern Virginia it forms a plateau-like upland more than 500 meters above the Piedmont, bounded by the Blue Ridge escarpment.[1] The province is narrow and runs northeast to southwest, parallel to the Valley and Ridge.[2]
Highest Peaks
| Peak | Elevation |
|---|---|
| Mount Rogers | 1,746 m (about 5,729 ft), highest point in Virginia |
| The Priest, Nelson County | 1,237 m (about 4,056 ft) |
Several of the highest peaks in Shenandoah National Park, among them Hawksbill, Stony Man and Hightop, stand on greenstone of the Catoctin Formation.[1]
A Billion Years of Rock
The core of the Blue Ridge is igneous and metamorphic rock formed during the Grenvillian mountain-building event, about 1.0 to 1.2 billion years ago, when continents collided to build the supercontinent Rodinia.[1]
Later events added younger rocks:
- Granites intruded the old core about 750 to 700 million years ago, when the continent began to rift apart.[1]
- The bluish-green greenstones of the Catoctin Formation are ancient basalt lava flows, erupted about 570 to 550 million years ago.[1]
- Trace fossils called Skolithos linearis, in the early Cambrian Antietam Formation, are the oldest fossils in Virginia.[1]
During the late Paleozoic collision of Africa and North America, the rocks of the Blue Ridge were thrust many kilometers northwest over the rocks of the Valley and Ridge.[1]
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest point in the Blue Ridge of Virginia? Mount Rogers, about 5,729 feet, which is also the highest point in the state.
How old are the rocks of the Blue Ridge? The core rocks formed about 1.0 to 1.2 billion years ago.
What is greenstone? In the Blue Ridge, greenstone is ancient basalt lava of the Catoctin Formation, about 570 to 550 million years old.
Which national park is in the Blue Ridge? Shenandoah National Park, whose high peaks include Hawksbill, Stony Man and Hightop.
References
- [1] The Geology of Virginia (William and Mary), Blue Ridge – last checked 11/08/2026
- [2] Virginia Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources: Virginia Provinces and Fossils – last checked 11/08/2026
The other provinces are described in The Regions of Virginia.