The Mount Rogers area contains some of the most spectacular scenery and rugged terrain in Virginia. Mount Rogers is the highest elevation in Virginia (5729 ft), and nearby Whitetop Mountain (5520 ft) is the second highest peak. The area is located in the Blue Ridge province, and contains a unique record of the Precambrian history of Virginia. It is the only place in Virginia that preserves evidence of ancient glaciation. In addition, massive rhyolite lava flows erupted there some 760 million years ago. It is located near the tri-state boundary (VA, TN, NC) in Grayson, Smyth, and Washington Counties near the town of Konnarock, VA.
Do you want to go there and take the trip in person? To find directions from Radford, VA, go to the Main Road Map, and also to the Road Log for complete directions. Also, go to the Print Out page to find a complete listing of all relevant pages in our web site. You will find detailed maps, stop-by-stop tutorials, geologic maps, geologic columns, and lots more!

Is your geology background a little rusty? This website is pitched at a level that is appropriate for college level undergraduates, high school teachers of earth science and their advanced students. If you need to brush up, we suggest you get any modern university-level Physical Geology textbook and read the following sections: igneous rocks (especially granite, rhyolite, and basalt), sedimentary rocks (especially conglomerate and sandstone), glaciers (alpine glaciation, glacial sediment and varves), and plate tectonics (especially rifting).

Do you want to take the trip on your computer? Begin by reading the Introduction page, Then decide on how you want to navigate the site.

If you want to follow the trip stop-by-stop, the way the Field School did it in real life, go to the road log page for directions to the stops, links to the stop descriptions, plus commentary on what to see on the way there from Radford. The road log button on the left will take you there. The road log page is a site navigation center that has links to all the other pages.

If you want to follow the trip by looking at a road map page that contains the five field trip stops, the stop map button on the left will take you there. You will find a road map of the Mount Rogers area with hot linked stop locations. The stop map page is a site navigation center that has links to all the other pages.

Do you want to take a trip through geologic time? Go to the geologic column page where you will find hot-linked stop numbers and details on all the formations. The geologic column button on the left will take you there. The geologic column page is a site navigation center that has links to all the other pages.

Are you a hard core geologist and want to look at a geologic map? A geologic map page with hot linked stop locations is also available. The geologic map button on the left will take you there. The geologic map page is a site navigatio center that has liks to all the other pages.

However, before you take the "virtual trip", read the Important Information page first. There you will find info on safety, level of background geology needed, fair use, and referencing. Then read the Introduction page to learn about the geology of the Mount Rogers region.

Field School Home Page Back to list of field trips page INTRODUCTION TO MOUNT ROGERS