Mount Philo State Park
Encyclopedia
Mount Philo State Park is a state park
located in Charlotte, Vermont
. The 168 acre (0.67987248 km²) park protects the area around Mount Philo (968 feet high) and provides views of Lake Champlain
and the Adirondack Mountains
to the west. The Green Mountains
(including Camel's Hump
in the winter) can be seen to the east and south. It is accessed by trail or steep narrow car road (seasonal).
From the late 19th century to 1924, Mt. Philo was a popular destination for guests of the Mt. Philo Inn. It was accessed by carriage road and had a wooden observation tower at its summit.
The State Park was established in 1924 when Francies Humphreys (Brookline, Ma), owner of the adjacent Mt. Philo Inn, donated the land to the State of Vermont for recreational use. This land would become Vermont's first State Park. In 1929 the carriage road was improved and a summit picnic area was created. From 1935-1937, C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps
) crews further enhanced the road and picnic area and built a ranger cabin and camping sites .
Biology:
From September to November, Mt. Philo is an excellent viewpoint for migrating raptor
s. Three main types can be viewed: 1) falcons such as the Kestrel or Merlin, 2) accipiters such as the Coopers Hawk, and 3) buteos such as the red-tailed hawk .
Geology:
Mt. Philo sits atop the Champlain Thrust
fault of Middle Ordivician age. It is made up of difficult to weather sedimentary rocks—the Cambrian Monkton Quartzites—that are thrust over younger Ordovician rocks of the Stony Point Formation. The rocks that hold up Mt. Philo were originally deposited during the Cambrian on a passive margin in a warm shallow marine shelf setting along the east coast of Laurentia
(Proto North America). These rocks have subsequently been thrust west during the Taconic Orogeny
(~450 Ma) and perhaps again during the Acadian Orogeny
(~350 Ma).
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located in Charlotte, Vermont
Charlotte, Vermont
Charlotte is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for Sofia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, youngest daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.The population was 3,569 at the 2000 census....
. The 168 acre (0.67987248 km²) park protects the area around Mount Philo (968 feet high) and provides views of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
and the Adirondack Mountains
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
to the west. The Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
(including Camel's Hump
Camel's Hump
Camel's Hump is Vermont's third-highest mountain and highest undeveloped peak; moreover, because of its distinctive profile, it is perhaps the state's most recognized mountain. Part of the Green Mountain range, it is one of the oldest mountains on Earth...
in the winter) can be seen to the east and south. It is accessed by trail or steep narrow car road (seasonal).
From the late 19th century to 1924, Mt. Philo was a popular destination for guests of the Mt. Philo Inn. It was accessed by carriage road and had a wooden observation tower at its summit.
The State Park was established in 1924 when Francies Humphreys (Brookline, Ma), owner of the adjacent Mt. Philo Inn, donated the land to the State of Vermont for recreational use. This land would become Vermont's first State Park. In 1929 the carriage road was improved and a summit picnic area was created. From 1935-1937, C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
) crews further enhanced the road and picnic area and built a ranger cabin and camping sites .
Biology:
From September to November, Mt. Philo is an excellent viewpoint for migrating raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s. Three main types can be viewed: 1) falcons such as the Kestrel or Merlin, 2) accipiters such as the Coopers Hawk, and 3) buteos such as the red-tailed hawk .
Geology:
Mt. Philo sits atop the Champlain Thrust
Champlain thrust
The Champlain Thrust is a fault extending southward from southern Quebec, though western Vermont in the Champlain Valley, and into eastern New York in the Hudson Valley. This east dipping thrust fault transports Cambrian-Ordovician passive margin shelf rocks westerward by about and places them on...
fault of Middle Ordivician age. It is made up of difficult to weather sedimentary rocks—the Cambrian Monkton Quartzites—that are thrust over younger Ordovician rocks of the Stony Point Formation. The rocks that hold up Mt. Philo were originally deposited during the Cambrian on a passive margin in a warm shallow marine shelf setting along the east coast of Laurentia
Laurentia
Laurentia is a large area of continental craton, which forms the ancient geological core of the North American continent...
(Proto North America). These rocks have subsequently been thrust west during the Taconic Orogeny
Taconic orogeny
The Taconic orogeny was a mountain building period that ended 440 million years ago and affected most of modern-day New England. A great mountain chain formed from eastern Canada down through what is now the Piedmont of the East coast of the United States...
(~450 Ma) and perhaps again during the Acadian Orogeny
Acadian orogeny
The Taconic, Acadian and Alleghenian orogenies are the three tectonic phases responsible for the formation of the present Appalachian Mountains. The Acadian orogeny is a middle Paleozoic mountain building episode dating back 325-400 million years which should not be regarded as a single event but...
(~350 Ma).