This hill might not be of any significance in most places; however, in a place so flat like the state of Florida it is looked upon as an actual mountain.
Sugarloaf Mountain is the fifth highest named point in the state of Florida. At 312 feet (95 meters) above sea level it is also the highest point on the geographic Florida Peninsula. The mountain is in Lake County, near the town of Clermont. Comparatively, Florida's highest point, Britton Hill, rises to 345 feet (105 meters) above sea level in the Florida Panhandle. However, Sugarloaf Mountain is the most prominent point in the entire state.
Sugarloaf Mountain, located along the western shore of Lake Apopka in Lake County, Florida, is the northernmost named upland associated with the Lake Wales Ridge, a series of sand hills running south to Highlands County. The mountain, really a ridge with rolling dome-like peaks, rises abruptly from the surrounding flat terrain. Its prominence is thought to be 245 feet (74 meters), with its highest peak having a local prominence of approximately 200 feet (61 meters) relative to the surrounding ridge. Despite not being the highest point in Florida (which is Britton Hill near the Alabama border, the lowest high point of any U.S. state), Sugarloaf Mountain's summit is the most prominent peak in the state, and in a national ranking, is more prominent than the most prominent hills in both Louisiana and Delaware.
Prior to the 20th century, Sugarloaf Mountain was a wilderness dominated by sandhill and flatwood pine forests. By the 1920s, logging had stripped the mountain of its hardwood vegetation, permanently altering its native environment. Scrub began to grow on the mountain’s slopes, in addition to grapes, which were planted mostly to the south of the mountain for a decade or so.
By the 1940s, grape farming had declined due to fungal diseases, and it was replaced by citrus farming. Citrus plantations flourished on the flanks of Sugarloaf Mountain, providing the basis for the local economy until the 1980s, when freezes began to systematically devastate local groves. As the citrus industry faded, property on the mountain was rezoned for residential development, with value seen in the mountain’s panoramic views of the surrounding area. Other lands abutting the mountain, primarily along Lake Apopka, were preserved with the intention of restoring long absent ecologies. Only a few citrus plantations and vineyards managed to persist to the present day.
Sugarloaf Mountain’s geology is tied to the formation of Florida’s sand ridges, specifically the Lake Wales Ridge. The mountain consists of relict sand ridges and dunes formed in a marine shoreline environment approximately 2 million years ago during the Pleistocene epoch. Since the Pleistocene, the sands comprising the mountain have probably been uplifted due to isostatic rebound of the crust beneath the Florida Platform. The uplift is attributed to the karstification/erosion of the platform, which is reducing the weight on the underlying basement rock, triggering a process similar to post glacial rebound.
Sugarloaf Mountain was recently recognized for its scenic, cultural, and historic value. The state of Florida designated the Green Mountain Scenic Byway, which primarily traverses the eastern side of the mountain. The route offers rare panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and access to newly acquired ecological preserves and historic sites. Biking along the Byway as well as on other roads on the mountain has become popular, due to the challenge imposed by the relatively rugged terrain of the mountain compared to the surrounding area.
Sugarloaf Mountain also featured a golf course designed by the firm of Coore & Crenshaw. The course, part of the proposed private Sugarloaf Mountain Golf Club residential development, was somewhat unusual in Florida, and took advantage of the relatively prominent topography. The golf course was closed in 2012 due to low turnout and the inability for the planned development to take hold following the 2008 housing bubble and has remained abandoned since.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Mountain_(Florida)
Tags: Florida Citrus Tower geology Lake County Sunshine State hill sand hill countryside Clermont Florida Gem of the Hills rolling hills nature Central Florida Sugarloaf Mountain high terrain high elevation red clay soil geological formation Lake Wales Ridge panoramic blue sky rural Florida trees
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The Florida Citrus Tower is a 226-foot-tall (69 m) structure built in 1956 in Clermont, Florida. Once the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area, it was built to allow visitors to observe the miles of orange groves surrounding it; developments in the citrus industry since its construction have left it providing a view of suburban neighborhoods today. With the antenna reaching over 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, it is the highest observation point in Florida.
In early 2015, the Citrus Tower received a new paint job, giving it a new but retro look, with an orange line going down the middle of each side.
The tower opened in 1956 after 13 months of construction. During the first several years of operation, the tower drew up to 500,000 visitors a year, thanks to its location on Highway 27 between Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. However, in 1964 the Florida Turnpike was extended north, providing a faster route south through Central Florida. Since then the tower has been sold several times. In 1988, a tram was built to offer visitors tours of various citrus crops. The tower was purchased in 1995 by Greg Homan.
The Citrus Tower includes a wishing well where visitors can hear their coin drop to the bottom; proceeds are donated to the Green Isle Children Ranch. At the lobby is ROOM: Valencia: a banquet facility, gift shop, and museum of the tower's history. During Christmas season, lights on the tower dance to Christmas music. Near the tower is the Presidents Hall of Fame, with wax tributes to 43 Presidents of the United States of America and a full-scale replica of the interior of the White House.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Citrus_Tower
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clermont,_Florida
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Tags: Florida Citrus Tower 141 US-27 Clermont Florida USA AW Thacker FJ Toole Completed: 1956 Height: 226 ft central Florida Sunshine State building structure urban architecture high-rise tower orange groves scenic views commercial property real estate observation tower
© All Rights Reserved
The Florida Citrus Tower is a 226-foot-tall (69 m) structure built in 1956 in Clermont, Florida. Once the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area, it was built to allow visitors to observe the miles of orange groves surrounding it; developments in the citrus industry since its construction have left it providing a view of suburban neighborhoods today. With the antenna reaching over 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, it is the highest observation point in Florida.
In early 2015, the Citrus Tower received a new paint job, giving it a new but retro look, with an orange line going down the middle of each side.
The tower opened in 1956 after 13 months of construction. During the first several years of operation, the tower drew up to 500,000 visitors a year, thanks to its location on Highway 27 between Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. However, in 1964 the Florida Turnpike was extended north, providing a faster route south through Central Florida. Since then the tower has been sold several times. In 1988, a tram was built to offer visitors tours of various citrus crops. The tower was purchased in 1995 by Greg Homan.
The Citrus Tower includes a wishing well where visitors can hear their coin drop to the bottom; proceeds are donated to the Green Isle Children Ranch. At the lobby is ROOM: Valencia: a banquet facility, gift shop, and museum of the tower's history. During Christmas season, lights on the tower dance to Christmas music. Near the tower is the Presidents Hall of Fame, with wax tributes to 43 Presidents of the United States of America and a full-scale replica of the interior of the White House.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Citrus_Tower
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clermont,_Florida
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Tags: Florida Citrus Tower 141 US-27 Clermont Florida USA AW Thacker and FJ Toole 1956 Lake County historical city cityscape urban downtown skyline Central Florida central business district skyscraper building architecture commercial property cosmopolitan metro metropolitan metropolis Sunshine State real estate commercial office modernism postmodern modern architecture Gem of the Hills observation Tower
© All Rights Reserved
The Florida Citrus Tower is a 226-foot-tall (69 m) structure built in 1956 in Clermont, Florida. Once the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area, it was built to allow visitors to observe the miles of orange groves surrounding it; developments in the citrus industry since its construction have left it providing a view of suburban neighborhoods today. With the antenna reaching over 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, it is the highest observation point in Florida.
In early 2015, the Citrus Tower received a new paint job, giving it a new but retro look, with an orange line going down the middle of each side.
The tower opened in 1956 after 13 months of construction. During the first several years of operation, the tower drew up to 500,000 visitors a year, thanks to its location on Highway 27 between Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. However, in 1964 the Florida Turnpike was extended north, providing a faster route south through Central Florida. Since then the tower has been sold several times. In 1988, a tram was built to offer visitors tours of various citrus crops. The tower was purchased in 1995 by Greg Homan.
The Citrus Tower includes a wishing well where visitors can hear their coin drop to the bottom; proceeds are donated to the Green Isle Children Ranch. At the lobby is ROOM: Valencia: a banquet facility, gift shop, and museum of the tower's history. During Christmas season, lights on the tower dance to Christmas music. Near the tower is the Presidents Hall of Fame, with wax tributes to 43 Presidents of the United States of America and a full-scale replica of the interior of the White House.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Citrus_Tower
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clermont,_Florida
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Tags: Florida Citrus Tower 141 US-27 Clermont Florida USA AW Thacker and FJ Toole 1956 Lake County historical city cityscape urban downtown skyline Central Florida central business district skyscraper building architecture commercial property cosmopolitan metro metropolitan metropolis Sunshine State real estate commercial office modernism postmodern modern architecture Gem of the Hills observation Tower
© All Rights Reserved
The Florida Citrus Tower is a 226-foot-tall (69 m) structure built in 1956 in Clermont, Florida. Once the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area, it was built to allow visitors to observe the miles of orange groves surrounding it; developments in the citrus industry since its construction have left it providing a view of suburban neighborhoods today. With the antenna reaching over 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, it is the highest observation point in Florida.
In early 2015, the Citrus Tower received a new paint job, giving it a new but retro look, with an orange line going down the middle of each side.
The tower opened in 1956 after 13 months of construction. During the first several years of operation, the tower drew up to 500,000 visitors a year, thanks to its location on Highway 27 between Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. However, in 1964 the Florida Turnpike was extended north, providing a faster route south through Central Florida. Since then the tower has been sold several times. In 1988, a tram was built to offer visitors tours of various citrus crops. The tower was purchased in 1995 by Greg Homan.
The Citrus Tower includes a wishing well where visitors can hear their coin drop to the bottom; proceeds are donated to the Green Isle Children Ranch. At the lobby is ROOM: Valencia: a banquet facility, gift shop, and museum of the tower's history. During Christmas season, lights on the tower dance to Christmas music. Near the tower is the Presidents Hall of Fame, with wax tributes to 43 Presidents of the United States of America and a full-scale replica of the interior of the White House.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Citrus_Tower
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clermont,_Florida
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Tags: Florida Citrus Tower 141 US-27 Clermont Florida USA AW Thacker and FJ Toole 1956 AW Thacker FJ Toole Lake County historical city cityscape urban downtown skyline Central Florida central business district skyscraper building architecture commercial property cosmopolitan metro metropolitan metropolis Sunshine State real estate commercial office modernism postmodern modern architecture Gem of the Hills observation Tower
© All Rights Reserved