Haystack Mountain
Haystack Mountain rises to 1,044 m in Vermont. Stratton Mountain stands 1,194 m to the north, 12 miles off. The nearest named place is Birchwood Recreation Center, a park 2.8 miles away. Molly Stark Scenic Byway passes 2.3 miles off.
The story
Haystack Mountain is located in Wilmington, Vermont, and is part of the Green Mountains mountain range. It has a summit of 3,445 feet (1,049 m) and shares a ridgeline with neighboring Mt. Snow to the north. Haystack is “[a] mountain with a sharp summit cone and a broad, deep lake just under the precipitous peak. The view is a wide and complete panorama.” According to the 2015 Wilmington Municipal Plan, “Haystack Mountain and the ridgeline which forms the spine of the Green Mountain National Forest are prominent landforms. They provide a dramatic scenic impact from many viewpoints in Wilmington. Haystack Mountain boasts numerous hiking trails to the summit, capturing a broad vista of the valley below.” In his 1861 report, Edward Hitchcock described Haystack Mountain as, “one of the wildest, most rugged, and imposing peaks in Southern Vermont.” "Just below the peak of Haystack Mountain, at an elevation of 2,984 feet, lies 36 acre Haystack Pond. Surrounded by wetlands, this pristine pond is accessible only by a hiking trail. Its mountainside location makes it a scenic treasure, whether viewed from the summit or the shore. Nearby is three acre Crystal Pond, now enclosed by woods and also surrounded by wetlands." Binny Brook connects Haystack Pond to Crystal Pond, and then flows down Haystack Mountain, emptying to Harriman Reservoir. Haystack Pond does not support aquatic life due to its acidity. Core samples taken from the pond suggest it had a pH of 5.2-5.3 from 1700-1925. This correlates with several failed attempts to stock the pond with fish in the late 1800s. The pond went through rapid acidification from 1925-1970 to ~pH of 4.9 due to acid rain from sulfur emissions. It has since returned to previous levels. Haystack Mountain Ski Area is on the northeast flank of Haystack Mountain, on 834 acres. Chimney Hill, a housing development with several hundred homes, is on the lower southeast flank. The foothills of the Chimney Hill development include the Haystack Golf Course, which is open to the public. The remaining, and majority of Haystack Mountain is part of the Green Mountain National Forest. Hiking trails are available to the public from the Chimney Hill development to the peak. Another trail skirts the west ridge of the summit, around Haystack pond, to the ridgeline trail which leads to the summit of Mt Snow.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5687253, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1044 m
How to reach it
- 2.3 mi off the Molly Stark Scenic Byway
- 15.9 mi off the Mohawk Trail - MA, National
- 15.9 mi off the Route 112 Scenic Byway
- 17.9 mi off the Mount Greylock Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Scenic Overlook · 8 mi
- Hot Point · 16 mi
- Hairpin Turn · 16 mi
- Western Summit · 17 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Birchwood Recreation Center: 2.8 mi
- Dover Park: 3.5 mi
- Beaver Brook Park: 4.0 mi
- Baker Field: 4.2 mi
- Woodford State Park: 7.9 mi
- Mount Snow: 3.1 mi
- Castle Hill: 3.6 mi
- Johnson Hill: 4.2 mi
- Cooper Hill: 5.5 mi
- Rice Hill: 6.4 mi
- Stratton Town Forest: 5.7 mi
- Molly Stark State Park: 7.0 mi
- Hogback Mountain Conservation Area: 7.5 mi
- Harriet Carpenter Read Forest: 14.4 mi
- Clarksburg State Park: 15.0 mi
- WTC Monument: 14.3 mi
- Bennington Battle Monument: 15.1 mi
- Historic Marker: Bennington Battle Monument: 15.1 mi
- Gov. Jonas Galusha Homestead: 15.4 mi
- Park–McCullough Historic House: 16.6 mi
- Topping Tavern Museum: 13.5 mi
- The Dollhouse and Toy Museum of Vermont: 14.1 mi
- Robert Frost House: 14.8 mi
- Bennington Historical Museum: 14.9 mi
- Browning Bench Agricultural Museum: 14.9 mi
- Molly Stark: 3.9 mi
- Stratton Bear: 12.6 mi
- Bear: 13.8 mi
- Seth Warner Statue: 15.1 mi
- Brigadier General John Stark: 15.1 mi
- Lye Brook Falls: 16.2 mi
- Twin Cascade: 16.9 mi
- Hamilton Falls: 17.3 mi
- Tannery Falls: 20.5 mi
- Money Brook Falls: 21.4 mi
- Antique Truck: 18.7 mi
- Thunderbolt Mountain Coaster: 20.3 mi
- TimberQuest: 21.1 mi
- Magic Mountain Ski Area: 21.2 mi
- rock scramble: 22.1 mi
- Whetstone Bluff: 12.6 mi
- Hoosac Range: 16.0 mi
- Witts Ledge: 18.1 mi
- Mine Ledge: 19.8 mi
- Raven Rocks: 21.6 mi
- Scott Covered Bridge: 14.6 mi
- Paper Mill Village Bridge: 15.9 mi
- Green River Covered Bridge: 16.0 mi
- Burt Henry Covered Bridge;Henry Covered Bridge: 17.0 mi
- Creamery Covered Bridge: 17.5 mi
- Yellow Barn Farm: 16.5 mi
- Manchester Community Garden: 19.7 mi
- Buxton Garden: 20.3 mi
- Meditation Gardens: 21.1 mi
- Just Roots Community Garden: 24.5 mi
- Green Mountain Beach: 5.8 mi
- The Ledges: 5.9 mi
- Campers Beach: 18.0 mi
- Mt Mills West Picnic Area: 3.5 mi
- Day Use Area: 18.8 mi
- Spruce Peak Shelter Spring: 18.7 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 14.2 miles of Haystack Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratton Mountain | N 359° | 1,194 m | 11.9 mi |
| Glastenbury Mountain | WNW 300° | 1,139 m | 8.9 mi |
| Mount Snow | N 356° | 1,092 m | 3.1 mi |
| Houghton Mountain | SW 232° | 939 m | 10.7 mi |
| Rice Hill | NE 46° | 895 m | 6.4 mi |
| Scrub Hill | SW 232° | 883 m | 12.2 mi |
| Bald Mountain | W 273° | 868 m | 11.4 mi |
| Spruce Hill | SW 234° | 858 m | 11.4 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:56 | 18:27 | 19:04 |
| June solstice | 05:14 | 19:52 | 20:35 |
| September equinox | 06:40 | 18:14 | 18:51 |
| December solstice | 07:20 | 15:35 | 16:21 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 20 | 22 | 29 | 41 | 52 | 61 | 66 | 65 | 58 | 46 | 36 | 27 |
| Precip in | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Rowe 3NE, 13 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/356555074
Day trips start here
- Wilmington · 4 mi
- Bennington · 15 mi
- Florida · 18 mi
- North Adams · 18 mi
- Brattleboro · 19 mi
- Williamstown · 20 mi
Take the scenic way to Haystack Mountain.
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