The Massanutten - Front Royal VA
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 38° 51.513 W 078° 12.568
17S E 742138 N 4304781
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.
Waymark Code: WM137Y5
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 10/06/2020
Views: 1
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.
LOCATION: Marker is near Front Royal, Virginia, in Warren County. Marker is on Skyline Drive, on the right when traveling south. Located at the Signal Knob Overlook in Shenandoah National Park. Marker is in this post office area: Front Royal VA 22630, United States of America.
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for this waymark a photo of you, the sign at the waymark with your GPS in view must be uploaded.