Mount Davis

About: Mount Davis is the highest mountain in Pennsylvania, located in the 5,685 acre (23.01 km²) Forbes State Forest in Somerset County. The peak (3,213 feet above sea level) is the summit of a 30 mile (50 km) long ridge line known as Negro Mountain which extends from central Somerset County southward into Garrett County, Maryland. The peak was named for John Nelson Davis, an early settler, American Civil War veteran, surveyor and naturalist known for his studies of the mountain's flora and fauna. The top can be reached by driving or by following one of several hiking trails. There are nine hiking trails in the park, but not all go to the summit. There is a metal observation tower at the summit with a relief map of the region. The summit is noted for its patterns of unusual circular stone formed by periglacial action. Weather on the peak is characterized by temperate weather punctuated by heavy winds, rain and hail. Annual temperatures range from -30 to 106 °F (-34 to 35 °C) though frosts have been recorded in every month of the year. Summer temperatures are generally mild and winters are characterized by moderate snowfall. Average annual precipitation ranges from 38 to 42 inches (970 to 1070 mm).

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