"A Tale of the Ragged Mountains" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe partially based on his experiences while a student at the University of Virginia. Set near Charlottesville, it is the only one of Poe's stories to take place in Virginia. Suspense, fear and the supernatural provide the center for this tale by the master prose writer. It was first published in April 1844 and was included in Poe's short story collection Tales, published in New York in 1845.