Big Mountain (Pennsylvania)

Big Mountain
Big Mountain
Highest point
Elevation	2,458 ft (749 m) NGVD 29[1]
Coordinates	39°57′01″N 77°56′12″W / 39.9503669°N 77.9366662°W / 39.9503669; -77.9366662[2]
Geography
Location	Franklin / Fulton counties, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Parent range	Appalachian Mountains
Topo map	USGS McConnellsburg (Pennsylvania)
Climbing
Easiest route	Road

Big Mountain is the high point on the Tuscarora Mountain ridge in south central Pennsylvania in the United States. The 2,458-foot (749 m) summit is located in the Buchanan State Forest and offers a viewshed that is one of the more stunning in the Commonwealth.

Tuscarora Formation quartzite of the Silurian Age underlies the summit; it is this weather resistant rock which gives Big Mountain its high prominence. Big Mountain has the largest vertical rise in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with over an 1800' difference between summit and the creek valley below on the east side of the mountain.

Big Mountain and the rest of the Tuscarora Ridge has abundant wildlife. Black bear, white-tailed deer, a variety of bird species and its most notorious resident the timber rattlesnake can be found while hiking on the ridge.

The Tuscarora Trail passes along the ridge and over the summit, the nearby Cowans Gap State Park offers a variety of campsites, swimming, boating and hiking trails centered on a 42-acre (17 ha) lake.