How tall does a mountain have to be to be a mountain (look, California)
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Often, 1,000 feet is use to separate what is a hill and what is a mountain. However, there are definitely some mountains that have vertical rises under 1,000 feet that are definitely mountains (Sugarloaf in Maryland is an example). I would say that the mark is somewhere in between 500 and 1,000 feet. What do you all say?
I consider a 1,500 ft. topographic prominence* to be the bare minimum. And 1,500-2,000 ft. I would consider a short mountain. There are plenty of smaller ranges and foothills in the Rockies that rise just a bit over the plains of this height that are considered mountains, albeit very small ones.
*The difference between a hill and a mountain should be measured by topographic prominence rather than topographical elevation, the height above sea level. The highest point in Nebraska is flat as a pancake yet is higher in elevation than steep and high mountains in the east such as Gore Mountain in New York.
5,400 ft above sea level in Nebraska, topographic prominence ~0 ft. Not a mountain.
5,300 ft. above sea level in New York, topographic prominence 4,100 ft. Definitely a mountain.
I think it's dependent on the surroundings. Where I live in the foothills of the Santa Ana mountains (which are small for California, highest peak 5600'), a 1000-foot hill would not even be dignified with a name. Obviously, in Maryland and other places where there is nothing higher to be seen, 1000 feet appears to be a mountain. But I don't think you can pick one set elevation that distinguishes hills from mountains everywhere, and I would also have a hard time calling anything under 1000 feet a "mountain" no matter where it was.
I would also put that it will depend on area. A 1200 foot rise above the surrounding terrain might be called a hill in California while a 500 foot rise above the surrounding terrain might be called a mountain in Michigan.
There is no specific or agreed-upon limit. I know of named mountains in one state that would never be called mountains in another state. It's just personal preference.
"Most geologists classify a mountain as a landform that rises at least 1,000 feet (300 meters) or more above its surrounding area. A mountain range is a series or chain of mountains that are close together."
Others say there is no definition. Since there is no consensus, I go with "no definition".
My definition is, "you know it when you see it". If it looks like a mountain, it is mountain. Or maybe, if it is easy to climb, it is a hill. If it is hard to climb, it is a mountain.
Or maybe, if it is easy to climb, it is a hill. If it is hard to climb, it is a mountain.
Igor Blevin, this is a good point. The definition shouldn't just be how much it rises above the surrounding terrain, but the incline to reach the peak. Steepness counts - or at least it should.
I have no suggestion about what the rate of climb should be though.
With its low profile and smooth contours, and only reaching 800 feet, that would be a smallish hill here. But as everyone has said, if local people call and consider it a mountain, that's fine. I was once laughed at in Michigan for referring to a body of water as a "lake" when everyone who lived there thought it was just a small pond.
According to this 1995 Hugh Grant film, a mountain has to be 1,000 feet high or else it's a hill. In the film, a Welsh town was very proud because they had the "first mountain in Wales" but a surveying team found it was too short, and so the townsfolk were at risk of losing their distinction.
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