Overview
Vermont's county highpoints are among the most consistently elevated of perhaps any mountainous state in the nation; with the exception of Grand Isle County, every highpoint falls within the range of 3100-4400 feet in height. Many of these peaks offer challenging hikes and stunning scenery, though several are more sublime in nature. For those so inclined, however, eight counties can be more easily summited by the aid of summit roads, ski lifts, and gondolas. Virtually all of the peaks are trailed. In fact, only the bushwhacks up Butterfield and Signal Mtns, the unofficial path to Big Jay from Jay Peak, and possibly the two candidate areas on Grand Isle require any traveling off the beaten path.
For those interested in the Vermont 4000'ers, all five of them will contribute toward your amassing of counties: Mt. Ellen and Camels Hump are the candidates for Washington County's highpoint, and the remaining three are each highpoints of their respective counties. The famed Long Trail passes over--or very near to--nine of the fourteen counties' highpoints. Almost unique among the states, there are no true "liners", though Big Jay and Adam's Apple come close. One thing, however, is certain: Vermont's county highpoints cannot be completed in just a long weekend, nor should they be. Perhaps more so than any other state in the region, Vermont's mountains are meant to be savored, and enjoyed over a period of years.
External Links
Thanks once again to
cohp.org for information pertaining to the highpoints.
Access Issues
Vermont has among the fewest access issues regarding its highpoints as any state.
Permission should, if possible, be obtained to access the two Grand Isle County spots, as both are on private land.
East Mountain's summit is rumored to be closed on account of asbestos in the summit buildings. I don't know anything further: proceed at your own risk to your health and the law.
The neighboring Butterfield and Signal Mountains, when approached from the west, involve crossing private land. The standard eastern approach up the Groton State Forest road does not.
chilkoot - Aug 30, 2006 11:45 pm - Voted 9/10
A new pageJay Peak now has a page, so you can create a link in your list.
elhefe007a - Mar 22, 2007 5:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Another new pageBig Jay also has a page now.
Dartmouth Hiker - Apr 30, 2007 12:52 am - Hasn't voted
Having difficultiesHi guys, saw your notes and added your pages to the table in my profile. However, I can't seem to add them as children, since for some reason neither page shows up in a search. Any idea why this is happening? I've never had this problem with other summits...maybe SP has some kind of built-in search limitation for three-letter mountains, that's all I can think of.