Smith Mountain (Taconic Mountains)
Encyclopedia
Smith Mountain, 2170 feet (661.4 m), is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains
of western Massachusetts
. The mountain is located in Pittsfield State Forest and is traversed by the 12.1 mi (19.5 km) multi-use Taconic Skyline Trail
. The summit is known for its extensive stand of wild azalea
and is wooded with northern hardwood
tree species.
Most of Smith Mountain is located within Hancock, Massachusetts
with lower east slopes within Pittsfield, Massachusetts
. West Mountain, 1950 feet (594.4 m), a spur of Smith Mountain, is located along the mountain's south ridgeline. The Taconic ridgeline continues north from Smith Mountain as Pine Mountain
and Tower Mountain, and south as Doll Mountain
. It is bordered by West Hill to the west across the Wyomanock Creek valley. The west side of the mountain drains into Wyomanock Creek, then into Kinderhook Creek
, thence into the Hudson River
and Long Island Sound
. The east side drains into Smith Brook, thence to the Housatonic River
and Long Island Sound
.
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...
of western 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...
. The mountain is located in Pittsfield State Forest and is traversed by the 12.1 mi (19.5 km) multi-use Taconic Skyline Trail
Taconic Skyline Trail
The Taconic Skyline Trail is a multi-use trail in the Taconic Mountains of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The trail extends from U.S. Route 20 in Hancock, Massachusetts, less than east of the New York border, north along the ridgecrest of the Taconic Range within Pittsfield State Forest and...
. The summit is known for its extensive stand of wild azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
and is 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.
Most of Smith Mountain is located within Hancock, Massachusetts
Hancock, Massachusetts
Hancock is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 717 at the 2010 census.- History :...
with lower east slopes within Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
. West Mountain, 1950 feet (594.4 m), a spur of Smith Mountain, is located along the mountain's south ridgeline. The Taconic ridgeline continues north from Smith Mountain as Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain (Taconic Mountains)
Pine Mountain, , is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. The mountain is located in Pittsfield State Forest and is traversed by the Pine Mountain Trail, which connects to the Taconic Crest hiking trail and the multi-use Taconic Skyline Trail.The summit and west side...
and Tower Mountain, and south as Doll Mountain
Doll Mountain
Doll Mountain, , is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. The mountain is located in Pittsfield State Forest. The summit is wooded and trailless, but the multi-use Doll Mountain Trail traverses its northern slopes. The mountain is wooded with northern hardwood tree...
. It is bordered by West Hill to the west across the Wyomanock Creek valley. The west side of the mountain drains into Wyomanock Creek, then into Kinderhook Creek
Kinderhook Creek
Kinderhook Creek is a tributary to Stockport Creek, an inlet of the Hudson River in the United States. From its source in Hancock, Massachusetts, the creek runs southwest through the Taconic Mountains into Rensselaer County, New York, and then into Columbia County...
, thence into 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 Smith Brook, thence to the Housatonic River
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...
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...
.
External links
- Pittsfield State Forest map
- Pittsfield State Forest. Massachusetts DCR.
