		The Blue Ridge Viewed from the south, the Blue Ridge of southwestern Virginia appears to be a range of mountains. Actually, this is not the case. South of Roanoke, the Blue Ridge widens into a broad plateau. What we see here is the steep slope, or escarpment, called the Blue Ridge Front.
	The Blue Ridge Escarpment This photo looks eastward down from Lover's Leap in Patrick County. The escarpment rises from the lowlands upward toward the plateau. See the photo on the first "Natural History" page for another view of the escarpment. They may look like mountains, but there it a broad plateau on their top.

Blue Ridge Plateau

Once your reach the top of the escarpment, the rolling plateau spreads out before your eyes.

Here, we look southwest across the plateau from the Saddle Overlook on the parkway in Floyd County. Buffalo Mountain can be seen in the distance (far left corner).

	Not all of the Blue Ridge is mountains. South of Roanoke, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains widen to form the Blue Ridge Plateau. This plateau begins narrowly just south of Roanoke and widens to nearly 50 miles. Mount Rogers rises from this plateau, The origin of the plateau lies in the history of the region's rivers.