Alander Mountain
Encyclopedia
Alander Mountain, 2239 feet (682.4 m) is a prominent peak of the south Taconic Mountains
; it is located in southwest Massachusetts
and adjacent New York
. Part of the summit is grassy and open and part is covered with scrub oak and shrubs; the sides of the mountain are wooded with northern hardwood
tree species. Views from the top include the southern Taconic Mountains and the Hudson River Valley. Several trails traverse Alander Mountain, most notably the 15.7 mi (25.3 km) South Taconic Trail
, which passes just beneath the summit.
Much of the mountain is located within Taconic State Park
and Mount Washington State Forest
; other parcels have been conserved by non-profit organizations. Primitive camping is allowed on Alander Mountain; a cabin is located near the summit and there are two hike-in campsites on the east slope within Mount Washington State Forest.
The west slope of Alander Mountain is located within Copake, New York
. The point where the state line crosses the ridge next to the South Taconic Trail
is, at 2115 feet (644.7 m), the highest elevation in Columbia County
. The summit and east side is within the town of Mount Washington, Massachusetts
. The west side of Alander Mountain drains into the Preachy Hill Brook, then into the Noster Kill, Bash Bish Brook, the Roeliff Jansen Kill, thence the Hudson River
and Long Island Sound
. The east side drains into Ashley Hill Brook, then Bash Bish Brook and the Roeliff Jansen Kill.
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
; it is located in southwest Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and adjacent New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Part of the summit is grassy and open and part is covered with scrub oak and shrubs; the sides of the mountain are wooded with northern hardwood
Northern hardwood forest
The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south central Canada, extending south into the United States in northern New England and New York, and west along the Great Lakes to Minnesota and western Ontario...
tree species. Views from the top include the southern Taconic Mountains and the Hudson River Valley. Several trails traverse Alander Mountain, most notably the 15.7 mi (25.3 km) South Taconic Trail
South Taconic Trail
The South Taconic Trail is a hiking trail in the Taconic Mountains of southwest Massachusetts and adjacent New York. The trail extends from the village of Whitehouse Crossing in Millerton, New York, north along the ridgecrest of the southern Taconic Range and the border of New York and...
, which passes just beneath the summit.
Much of the mountain is located within Taconic State Park
Taconic State Park
Taconic State Park is located in Columbia and Dutchess County, New York abutting Massachusetts and Connecticut within the Taconic Mountains. The state park is located off New York State Route 344 south of Interstate 90 and north of New York City...
and Mount Washington State Forest
Mount Washington State Forest
Mount Washington State Forest is a scenic state forest in the southern Taconic Mountains of the southwestern Berkshire region of Massachusetts. It has 30 miles of trails for hiking, as well as offering wilderness camping, fishing, horseback riding trails, and cross-country skiing...
; other parcels have been conserved by non-profit organizations. Primitive camping is allowed on Alander Mountain; a cabin is located near the summit and there are two hike-in campsites on the east slope within Mount Washington State Forest.
The west slope of Alander Mountain is located within Copake, New York
Copake, New York
Copake is a town in Columbia County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 3,278 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name from a lake, which was known to the natives as Cook-pake, or Ack-kook-peek, meaning "Snake Pond." The town borders Taconic State Park.The Town of...
. The point where the state line crosses the ridge next to the South Taconic Trail
South Taconic Trail
The South Taconic Trail is a hiking trail in the Taconic Mountains of southwest Massachusetts and adjacent New York. The trail extends from the village of Whitehouse Crossing in Millerton, New York, north along the ridgecrest of the southern Taconic Range and the border of New York and...
is, at 2115 feet (644.7 m), the highest elevation in Columbia County
Columbia County, New York
Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
. The summit and east side is within the town of Mount Washington, Massachusetts
Mount Washington, Massachusetts
Mount Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 130 at the 2000 census, making it the smallest town in Berkshire County and, after Gosnold and Monroe, the third smallest in...
. The west side of Alander Mountain drains into the Preachy Hill Brook, then into the Noster Kill, Bash Bish Brook, the Roeliff Jansen Kill, thence the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. The east side drains into Ashley Hill Brook, then Bash Bish Brook and the Roeliff Jansen Kill.
External links
- South Taconic Range trail map.
- Mount Washington State Forest. Massachusetts DCR.
- Mount Washington State Forest map
- Taconic State Park New York DEC.
- Berkshire Natural Resource Council
- Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club
- Mid-Hudson chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club
- New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
- The Sierra Club
