The South Mountains are an ancient and deeply eroded mountain range in western North Carolina. They are an isolated remnant of the much larger Appalachian Mountains to the west, and are separated from the Blue Ridge Mountain chain by the Catawba River valley. The range covers approximately 100,000 acres (400 km²) in Burke, Cleveland, McDowell and Rutherford counties. The South Mountains are the highest and most rugged chain of the isolated mountain ranges which dot North Carolina's Piedmont or foothills region. The highest point in the range is contested. Icy Knob, Hickory Knob, Propst Mountain, and Buzzard’s Roost are all approaching 3,000 feet of elevation. Which is the highest has varied by source and with new data. The South Mountains are heavily forested with Southeastern mixed forests. Water erosion from numerous rivers and streams has given the mountains narrow ridges and valleys.