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Monument Mountain (reservation)
Encyclopedia
Monument Mountain is the name of a popular 503 acres (203.6 ha) open space reservation located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
on the southeast side of Monument Mountain
. The reservation is centered around the 1642 feet (500.5 m) subordinate summit of Squaw Peak. It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations
, a non-profit conservation organization and is notable for its expansive views of the Housatonic River Valley
, The Berkshires
, the Taconic Mountains
, and the Catskill Mountains
of New York
from the knife-edge summit of Squaw Peak. Monument Mountain, composed of erosion resistant quartzite
, is of The Berkshires
geology. The reservation receives over 20,000 visitors a year.
penned "Monument Mountain," an account of the story of a Mohican
woman who allegedly leapt from what is now called Squaw Peak. In 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne
and Herman Melville
picnicked on the mountain; a thunderstorm forced them to seek cover in a boulder cave where they engaged in a lengthy discussion which inspired some of Melville's ideas for his novel Moby Dick.
In the 1930s, red pine
s were planted on the reservation; by that time much of the mountain had been heavily logged for the charcoal
industry in support of iron foundries in Falls Village, Connecticut
and Lenox, Massachusetts
.
The reservation was acquired as the gift of Helen C. Butler in 1899 and John Butler Swann in 1980. Additional parcels were purchased in 1985 and 1986.
The reservation is open to hiking
, picnicking, and hunting (in season).
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
on the southeast side of Monument Mountain
Monument Mountain (Berkshire County, Massachusetts)
Monument Mountain is a long quartzite ridgeline located in Great Barrington and Stockbridge, Massachusetts in the Berkshires geology. Beside the high point, , the mountain has several other distinct peaks, most notably the open, knife-edge Squaw Peak, located on the southeast side of the mountain...
. The reservation is centered around the 1642 feet (500.5 m) subordinate summit of Squaw Peak. It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
, a non-profit conservation organization and is notable for its expansive views of the Housatonic River Valley
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
, The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
, the Taconic Mountains
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...
, and the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
of 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...
from the knife-edge summit of Squaw Peak. Monument Mountain, composed of erosion resistant quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, is of The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
geology. The reservation receives over 20,000 visitors a year.
History
Monument Mountain has been the subject of art and literature since as early as 1815 when the poet William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.-Youth and education:...
penned "Monument Mountain," an account of the story of a Mohican
Mohican
-Native Americans:* Mahican , a Native American tribe who lived in and around the Hudson Valley* Mohegan, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century...
woman who allegedly leapt from what is now called Squaw Peak. In 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
and Herman Melville
Herman Melville
Herman Melville was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. He is best known for his novel Moby-Dick and the posthumous novella Billy Budd....
picnicked on the mountain; a thunderstorm forced them to seek cover in a boulder cave where they engaged in a lengthy discussion which inspired some of Melville's ideas for his novel Moby Dick.
In the 1930s, red pine
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
s were planted on the reservation; by that time much of the mountain had been heavily logged for the charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
industry in support of iron foundries in Falls Village, Connecticut
Falls Village, Connecticut
Falls Village is a village and census-designated place in the town of Canaan, Connecticut. Because Falls Village is the town center and principal constituent village in Canaan, the entire town is often referred to as "Falls Village." That usage also avoids confusion of the town with Canaan Village...
and Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
.
The reservation was acquired as the gift of Helen C. Butler in 1899 and John Butler Swann in 1980. Additional parcels were purchased in 1985 and 1986.
Recreation
A trailhead parking lot is located on Massachusetts Route 7 north of Great Barrington center. The trail system consists of the Hickey Trail and Indian Monument Trail which form a loop around Squaw Peak; and Squaw Peak Trail which ascends the knife edge summit between the other two trails. An unnamed waterfall is located to along the Hickey Trail. Devil's Pulpit, part of Squaw Peak, is a free-standing pillar of stone visible from the Squaw Peak Trail.The reservation is open to hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, picnicking, and hunting (in season).