It extends about 125 miles from near Pioneer, Tennessee, to a location near Elkhorn City, Kentucky.

Birch Knob, the highest point, is 3,273 feet (998 m) above sea level and is located on the Kentucky-Virginia border.

It has long been a barrier to transportation, as the Cumberland River at Pineville, Kentucky is one of only two waterways that pass through the entire ridge.

The other is the Clear Fork (Cumberland River tributary) near Jellico, Tennessee.

"[4] Black bears, elk, rattlesnakes, and deer are found on Pine Mountain.