Roan Mountain, the central massif of the Roan Highlands on the Tennessee–North Carolina line, is the high point of the Unaka Range and one of the Southeast’s most distinctive uplands. Its western summits are covered in dense spruce–fir forest, while east of Carver’s Gap the mountain opens into Grassy Ridge, the Appalachian chain’s longest grassy bald. The area is ecologically important for rare habitats and federally listed species, and it has long attracted Native traditions, botanists, and travelers. It also figured in the Overmountain Men’s 1780 march, later mining, logging, and resort development, and remains especially valued for scenery, biodiversity, and hiking.