The Massanutten
An unusual name for an unusual mountain. Totally isolated within the Shenandoah Valley, fifty-mile-long Massanutten Mountain begins and ends abruptly. From here you can see its north end. Called simply "The Massanutten," the mountain today is part of George Washington National Forest. The origin of the name "Massanutten" is unclear.
Signal Knob
The high point near the end of the Massanutten is Signal Knob. During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers used Signal Knob as an observation and signal post. Message signals were relayed to stations farther south, and on to Richmond. The Union Army may have used Signal Knob for brief periods as well.
Why does Massanutten rise like it does?
Whereever rock layers are exposed at the surface, they erode. Harder layers "resist" erosion and remain as ridges; softer layers erode into valleys. Long, parallel lines of resistant Massanutten Sandstone form Massanutten's ridges. To the north and south the sandstone dips below the surface and Massanutten ends.
Marker is on Skyline Drive, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
