Ice Mountain

Ice Mountain Preserve
Nature Conservancy Preserve National Natural Landmark
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Hampshire
Elevation	1,509 ft (459.9 m)
Coordinates	39°21′48″N 78°28′01″W / 39.36333°N 78.46694°W / 39.36333; -78.46694Coordinates: 39°21′48″N 78°28′01″W / 39.36333°N 78.46694°W / 39.36333; -78.46694
Area	149 acres (60.3 ha)
Owner	The Nature Conservancy
Nearest town	Capon Bridge, West Virginia
Location of Ice Mountain Preserve in West Virginia
Website: Ice Mountain Preserve

Ice Mountain is a mountain ridge and algific talus slope that is part of a 149-acre (60 ha) preserve near the community of North River Mills in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 2012.

Ice Mountain is protected by The Nature Conservancy and open for visits by small groups of hikers. It is nicknamed "Nature's Ice Box" and "Nature's Refrigerator" owing to its ice vents that release cool air all year long.

The accumulated rock detritus at Ice Mountain's base forms a talus that is 50 feet (15 m) thick in some places. It creates a refrigeration effect. As cold air sinks into the talus pile during the cooler months it forms masses of ice and ice vents inside it. The ice vents are in a section about 200 yards (180 m) in length along Ice Mountain's southern flank.

Cool air is expelled from the ice in the warmer months. Vent air temperatures vary throughout the year, but the mean annual temperature can be as low as 2 °C (35 °F). Within the area of ice vents there are approximately 60 different pockets and the cold air escapes through more than 150 small openings in the talus.

The cool air affects surrounding air and soil around creating an area of boreal species and plant growth. Studies of Ice Mountain's geology, , and micro-climatology since 2000 have shown that ice is no longer apparent after early June, but it is unclear whether this disappearance is due to climate change or the abandonment of historic ice storage strategies.

Ice Mountain's ice vents provide a habitat for boreal species of plants commonly found in Subarctic regions. The ecosystem exhibits a combination of Appalachian, Canadian, and Subarctic species in a humid subtropical climate. Northern boreal species have survived at Ice Mountain since the last glacial period and became isolated over time as temperatures warmed and relegated the boreal species to the Subarctic regions of North America. The cool air expulsed by the ice vents allowed boreal species to remain at Ice Mountain. Ice Mountain's boreal species are not only unique because of their isolated location, but also because of their elevation. Boreal species are typically found at elevations 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above mean sea level, but species at Ice Mountain survive at heights around 700 feet (210 m) above mean sea level.