The Green Mountains are a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

in the U.S. state of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with

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to the border with

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. The part of the same range that is in

and

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...

is known as The Berkshires or the Berkshire Hills (with the Connecticut portion, mostly in

Litchfield County Litchfield County is in northwestern Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 185,186. The county was named after Lichfield, in England. Litchfield County has the lowest population density of any county in Connecticut and is th ...

, locally called the Northwest Hills or Litchfield Hills) and the Quebec portion is called the Sutton Mountains, or ' in French. All mountains in Vermont are often referred to as the "Green Mountains". However, other ranges within Vermont, including the Taconic Mountains in southwestern Vermont and the Northeastern Highlands, are not geologically part of the Green Mountains.

Peaks

The best-known mountains—for reasons such as high elevation, ease of public access by road or trail (especially the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail), or with ski resorts or towns nearby—in the range include: # Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont #

Killington Peak Killington 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. Killington Peak is a stop on the Long Trail, which here shares its route with the App ...

, # Camel's Hump, # Mount Ellen, # Mount Abraham, #

Pico Peak Pico Peak is a mountain in the Green Mountains in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Pico Peak is flanked to the south by Ramshead Peak. To the north, it faces Deer Leap Mountain across Sherburne Pass. Seen from the pass, the summit of ...

, # Stratton Mountain, , the mountain at which the initial ideas of both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail were born # Jay Peak, , receives the most snowfall on average in the eastern United States. #

Bread Loaf Mountain Bread Loaf Mountain is a mountain located in Addison County, Vermont, in the Breadloaf Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest. The mountain is part of the central Green Mountains. Bread Loaf Mountain is flanked to the northeast by ...

, # Mount Wilson, #

Glastenbury Mountain Glastenbury Mountain is a mountain located in Bennington County, Vermont, in the Green Mountain National Forest. The mountain is part of the Green Mountains. The northeast side of Glastenbury Mountain drains into Deer Lick Brook, thence int ...

, #

Burke Mountain Several hills and mountains are named Burke, including: United States of America * Burke Mountain (Arizona), , * Burke Mountain (North Carolina), , * Burke Mountain (Vermont), , * Burke Hill (Montana), , * Burke Hill (New York), , * Burk ...

, The Green Mountains are part of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

, a range that stretches from Quebec in the north to

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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 Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, ...

Tourism

Some of the mountains are developed for skiing and other snow-related activities. Others have hiking trails for use in summer. 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 A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and is overlapped by the Appalachian Trail for roughly of its length.

History

The Vermont Republic, also known 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 ''Monts Verts'' or ''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 is referred to as UVM, after the Latin ''Universitas Viridis Montis'' (University of the Green Mountains).History and Traditions
University of Vermont.

Geology and physiography

The Green Mountains are a physiographic section of the larger

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 physiographic division. Lemon Fair runs through the towns of Orwell, Sudbury, Shoreham, Bridport, and Cornwall, Vermont, before flowing into Otter Creek. The story is that its name derives from early English-speaking settlers' phonetic approximation of 'Les Monts Verts'.

References

External links