Tower Mountain
Encyclopedia
Tower Mountain, 2193 feet (668.4 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 35 mi (56.3 km) Taconic Crest hiking trail
and the 12.1 mi (19.5 km) multi-use Taconic Skyline Trail
. The summit is partially open with views to the west; the slopes are wooded with northern hardwood
tree species.
Tower Mountain is located within Hancock, Massachusetts
; it shares the summit ridge with Pine Mountain
to the east; Smith Mountain
is located south along the ridgeline, and Berry Mountain
to the north. It is bordered by West Hill to the west across the Wyomanock Creek valley. Tilden Swamp, a highland bog, is located just below the summit to the northeast. 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, Parker Brook, and Onota Lake, 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 35 mi (56.3 km) Taconic Crest hiking trail
Taconic Crest Trail
The Taconic Crest Trail is a hiking trail in the Taconic Mountains of the Berkshires. 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, first within Massachusetts, then weaving along the border...
and 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 partially open with views to the west; the slopes 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.
Tower 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 :...
; it shares the summit ridge with 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...
to the east; Smith Mountain
Smith Mountain (Taconic Mountains)
Smith 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 multi-use Taconic Skyline Trail...
is located south along the ridgeline, and Berry Mountain
Berry Mountain
Berry Mountain, east peak and west peak , is a prominent mountain in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. The mountain is located in Pittsfield State Forest. The west peak is traversed by the Taconic Crest hiking trail and the east peak is traversed by the multi-use Taconic Skyline...
to the north. It is bordered by West Hill to the west across the Wyomanock Creek valley. Tilden Swamp, a highland bog, is located just below the summit to the northeast. 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, Parker Brook, and Onota Lake, 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.
