Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Provided and Copyright by: James Van Gundy
Summary Author: James Van Gundy

Seneca Rocks rises over 900 ft (274 m) above the valley of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River, in eastern West Virginia. These rocks represent a spectacular exposure of the resistant Silurian-aged Tuscarora sandstone that has been rotated into a vertical position along the western limb of the Wills Mountain anticline. This anticline, an extensive upfolded arch of rocks, was formed during the third and last of the great episodes of Appalachian mountain building roughly 300 million years ago in Pennsylvanian and Permian times. This prominent Appalachian fold structure extends for over 200 miles (320 km) through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Seneca Rocks is one of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the eastern United States. Photo taken October 6, 2007.