Green Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Green Mountains are a mountain range
in the U.S. state
of Vermont
. The range extends approximately 250 miles (402.3 km).
The Green Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains
, a range that stretches from Quebec
in the north to Alabama in the south.
The Green Mountains are part of the New England-Acadian forests ecoregion
.
Three peaks, Mount Mansfield
, Camel's Hump, and Mount Abraham, support alpine vegetation. For the most part, however, the Green Mountains, especially the northern sections, support a dense boreal forest between roughly 3000–3500 ft (914.4–1,066.8 m) and treeline. This forest is particularly well established in the Green Mountains and throughout the winter months weathers harsh temperatures, snowfall and winds that would destroy other species. In other words, much of the "green" in Green Mountains is due to this boreal forest.
Mansfield, Killington, Pico, and Ellen have downhill ski resorts on their slopes. All of the major peaks are traversed by the Long Trail
, a wilderness hiking trail that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and joins the Appalachian Trail
for roughly of its length.
, also known less formally as the Green Mountain Republic, existed from 1777 to 1791, at which time Vermont became the 14th state.
Vermont not only takes its state nickname ("The Green Mountain State") from the mountains, it is named after them. The French Verts Monts is literally translated as Green Mountains. This name was suggested in 1777 by Dr. Thomas Young
, an American revolutionary and Boston Tea Party
participant. The University of Vermont
and State Agricultural College, originally styled "the University of the Green Mountains," is referred to as UVM (after the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis).
of the larger New England province
, which in turn is part of the larger Appalachian
physiographic division.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. The range extends approximately 250 miles (402.3 km).
Peaks
The most notable mountains in the range include:- Mount MansfieldMount MansfieldMount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, 4380 feet (1,335 m), the highest point in Vermont - Killington PeakKillington PeakKillington Peak is the second highest summit in the Green Mountains and in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is located east of Rutland in south-central Vermont. A ski resort, Killington Ski Resort, nicknamed "the beast of the east," is located on the mountain. Killington is a stop on the Long...
, 4226 feet (1,288.1 m) - Mount Ellen, 4049 feet (1,234.1 m)
- Camel's Hump, 4065 feet (1,239 m)
- Mount Abraham, 3953 feet (1,204.9 m)
- Stratton Mountain (Vermont)Stratton Mountain (Vermont)Stratton Mountain is a mountain located in Windham County, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest.The mountain, a monadnock, is the highest point of Windham County, and of the southern Green Mountains generally. A fire tower located on the summit is generally open for climbing by the public...
, 3940 feet (1,200.9 m), the mountain at which the initial ideas of both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail were born, - Pico PeakPico PeakPico Peak is a mountain located in Rutland County, Vermont. It is the northernmost summit of the Coolidge Range in the Green Mountains, and the second highest after Killington Peak....
, 3930 feet (1,197.9 m) - Jay PeakJay Peak (Vermont)Jay Peak is a mountain located about 5 mi. south of the United States-Canada border, in Jay and Westfield, Orleans County, Vermont, of which it is the highest point.Most of the mountain is in Jay Peak State Forest....
, 3766 feet (1,147.9 m), receives the most amount of snowfall on average in the eastern United States - Mount WilsonMount Wilson (Vermont)Mount Wilson is a mountain located in Addison County, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest.The mountain is part of the central Green Mountains.Mount Wilson is flanked to the southwest by Bread Loaf Mountain....
, 3763 feet (1,147 m) - Glastenbury MountainGlastenbury MountainGlastenbury Mountain is a mountain located in Bennington County, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest.The mountain is part of the Green Mountains....
, 3737 feet (1,139 m) - Mount Roosevelt, 3520 feet (1,072.9 m)
- Mount Cleveland, 3471 feet (1,058 m)
The Green Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
, a range that stretches from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
in the north to Alabama in the south.
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
.
Three peaks, Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at above sea level. The summit is in Underhill; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.When viewed from the east or...
, Camel's Hump, and Mount Abraham, support alpine vegetation. For the most part, however, the Green Mountains, especially the northern sections, support a dense boreal forest between roughly 3000–3500 ft (914.4–1,066.8 m) and treeline. This forest is particularly well established in the Green Mountains and throughout the winter months weathers harsh temperatures, snowfall and winds that would destroy other species. In other words, much of the "green" in Green Mountains is due to this boreal forest.
Mansfield, Killington, Pico, and Ellen have downhill ski resorts on their slopes. All of the major peaks are traversed by the Long Trail
Long Trail
The Long Trail is a hiking trail located in Vermont, running the length of the state. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club...
, a wilderness hiking trail that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and joins the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
for roughly of its length.
History
The Vermont RepublicVermont Republic
The term Vermont Republic has been used by later historians for the government of what became modern Vermont from 1777 to 1791. In July 1777 delegates from 28 towns met and declared independence from jurisdictions and land claims of British colonies in New Hampshire and New York. They also...
, also known less formally as the Green Mountain Republic, existed from 1777 to 1791, at which time Vermont became the 14th state.
Vermont not only takes its state nickname ("The Green Mountain State") from the mountains, it is named after them. The French Verts Monts is literally translated as Green Mountains. This name was suggested in 1777 by Dr. Thomas Young
Thomas Young (American revolutionary)
Dr. Thomas Young was an American patriot during the American Revolutionary War who advocated for independence from Britain. He was a member of the Boston Committee of Correspondence and a participant in the Boston Tea Party...
, an American revolutionary and Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
participant. The University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
and State Agricultural College, originally styled "the University of the Green Mountains," is referred to as UVM (after the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis).
Geology and physiography
The Green Mountains are a physiographic sectionPhysiographic regions of the world
The physiographic regions of the world are a means of defining the Earth's landforms into distinct regions based upon classic 1916 three-tiered approach defining divisions, provinces, and sections...
of the larger New England province
New England province
The New England province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division of eastern North America. The province consists of the Seaboard Lowland, New England Upland, White Mountain, Green Mountain, and Taconic sections.-Geology:...
, which in turn is part of the larger Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
physiographic division.
See also
- Green Mountain National ForestGreen Mountain National ForestGreen Mountain National Forest is a national forest located in Vermontwhich supports a variety of wildlife, including beaver, moose, black bear, and white tailed deer. It also supports an abundant variety of bird species. The forest has been referred to as the 'granite backbone' of the state...
- Green Mountain BoysGreen Mountain BoysThe Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in the 1760s in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants...
– a paramilitaryParamilitaryA paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
infantry led by Ethan AllenEthan AllenEthan Allen was a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S...
that took Fort TiconderogaFort TiconderogaFort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
during the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America... - Griffith LakeGriffith LakeGriffith Lake is a small lake and campsite located in the towns of Peru and Mount Tabor, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest. The site lies on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail. The area is maintained by the Green Mountain Club and has an on-site caretaker to maintain the tent sites,...