West of the small Blue Ridge area is a much larger region called the Ridge and Valley Province. This includes most of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The rocks here were originally flat, but they were folded and squeezed when continents collided.

The soft rocks (like shale and limestone) were pushed down, forming wide, flat valleys. These valleys were perfect for farming when settlers arrived, and the limestone is still quarried for fertilizer and construction.

The hard rocks (like sandstone) resisted the pressure, leaving them standing tall as sharp, steep ridges.

The most famous ridge-maker is the Tuscarora Sandstone. This super-hard rock forms the highest ridges, creating towering cliffs like Seneca Rocks (pictured), because it simply won't wear away.

The region is named for this repeating pattern of long, straight ridges and valleys.