Pennsylvania Route 16 passes through Blue Ridge Summit, leading east down the mountain to Emmitsburg, Maryland, and west downhill to Waynesboro.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Blue Ridge Summit CDP has an area of 0.72 square miles (1.86 km2), all land.

[8] John Howard McClellan writes about the history of the Blue Ridge Summit region in his book, Blue Ridge Summit: The Beginnings of a Resort Area: During the American Civil War, at the time of the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, there were several cavalry skirmishes in and around Emmitsburg, Maryland - including Fountaindale, and Monterey Pass.

Stuart's soldiers were engaged in some small skirmishes as he made his way back to General Robert E. Lee's army.

A mountain swamp at Monterey Pass bogged down Stuart and the Army of Northern Virginia as they retreated.