Knoxville is situated in the Great
Appalachian Valley (known locally as the Tennessee Valley), about halfway
between the Great Smoky Mountains to the east and the Cumberland Plateau to the
west. The Great Valley is part of a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains known
as the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, which is characterized by long, narrow
ridges, flanked by broad valleys. Prominent Ridge-and-Valley structures in the
Knoxville area include Sharp's Ridge and Beaver Ridge in the northern part of
the city, Brown Mountain in South Knoxville, parts of Bays Mountain just south
of the city, and parts