<Tr> <Th> Range coordinates </Th> <Td> 35 ° 24 ′ 07" N 80 ° 03 ′ 32" W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.401808 ° N 80.058941 ° W ﻿ / 35.401808; - 80.058941 Coordinates: 35 ° 24 ′ 07" N 80 ° 03 ′ 32" W ﻿ / ﻿ 35.401808 ° N 80.058941 ° W ﻿ / 35.401808; - 80.058941 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Uwharrie Mountains (/ juːˈhwɑːri /) are a mountain range in North Carolina spanning the counties of Randolph, Montgomery, Stanly, and Davidson . The range's foothills stretch into Cabarrus, Anson, Union county, and terminate in the hills of Person County . </P> <P> The Uwharries were once a coastal mountain range; isostasy has slowly raised the eastern seabed until today they lie in the Piedmont of North Carolina over 150 miles from the coast . Formed approximately 500 million years ago by accretion along the Gondwanan tectonic plate, they are thought to have once peaked at some 20,000 feet, before eroding to a maximum of just over 1,100 ft . The range's high point is High Rock Mountain (1,188 feet / 362 meters as measured by the NC Geodetic Survey), in southwestern Davidson County . </P> <P> The Uwharries lie within the Southeastern mixed forests ecoregion . They give their name to the Uwharrie National Forest . Once entirely cleared for timber and farmland, the mountains were designated a U.S. National Forest in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy . The woodlands have since returned, providing a haven for a diversity of wildlife, recreational facilities, and numerous Native American archeological sites . </P>

How old are the uwharrie mountains in north carolina