Map of the main regions of the northeast Appalachians.

The Taconic Mountains 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, United States and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont in the town of Brandon, after which they lose prominence and dwindle into scattered hills and isolated peaks which continue north toward Burlington, Vermont. The physiographic regions of the world are a means of defining the Earth's landforms into distinct regions based upon Nevin Fenneman 's classic three-tiered approach of divisions The New England province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division of eastern North America. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Brandon is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3917 at the 2000 census Burlington is the largest city in the US state of Vermont and is the shire town ( County seat) of To the south, they fade into the Hudson Highlands range. The Hudson Highlands are the Mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U ^[1]

In Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Taconic Mountains are often popularly grouped as part of the Berkshires; in Vermont they are similarly grouped as of the Green Mountains. Please note that this article on the Berkshires is about a geologic and cultural region in the United States for other uses see Berkshire (disambiguation The Green Mountains are a Mountain range in the US state of Vermont. However, the Taconic Mountains are geologically distinct from the Berkshires and Green Mountains. ^[2]

The highest peak of the Taconic Mountains is Mount Equinox, with an elevation of 3,816 feet (1163 m), in Manchester, Vermont. Equinox Mountain (also known as Mount Equinox) is a Mountain in Bennington County, Vermont, United States, outside of Manchester "Taconic", a Native American name, was once transliterated as the Taghkanic--a name still used in parts of the western (New York) side of the range. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and

Geology and physiography

The Taconic mountain range was formed from the collision of the North American Plate into a volcanic island arc, similar to modern-day Japan, during the late Ordovician Period, around 440 million years ago (a more complete discussion is at Taconic orogeny). The North American Plate is a Tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland and part of Siberia. A volcanic arc is a chain of volcanic islands or Mountains formed by Plate tectonics as an oceanic Tectonic plate subducts under For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic era, and covers the time between 488 The Taconic orogeny was a great mountain building period that perhaps had the greatest overall effect on the geologic structure of basement rocks within the New York Bight

The western side of the Taconics rise gradually from a series of hills in eastern New York to a sharp mountain crest along the west border of the New England states; the east side of the Taconics falls off abruptly where river valleys divide it from the Berkshires and Green Mountains. The total length of the range is about 200 miles with a varying width of 5 to 20 miles. ^[3]

The Taconic Mountains are a physiographic section of the larger New England province, which in turn is part of the larger Appalachian physiographic division. The physiographic regions of the world are a means of defining the Earth's landforms into distinct regions based upon Nevin Fenneman 's classic three-tiered approach of divisions The New England province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division of eastern North America. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. ^[4]

Notable summits

Notable peaks in the Taconic Mountains include, from south to north, Silver Mountain, Indian Mountain, Stissing Mountain, Signal Rock, Mount Riga, Bear Mountain, Brace Mountain, Alander Mountain, Mount Frissell, Mount Race, Mount Everett, Mount Fray, White Hill, Harvey Mountain, Mercer Mountain, Perry Peak, Shaker Mountain, Tower Mountain, Berry Mountain, Rounds Mountain, Misery Mountain, Berlin Mountain, Mount Raimer, Jiminy Peak, Brodie Mountain, Mount Greylock, White Rock, Mount Anthony, West Mountain, Grass Mountain, Spruce Mountain, Red Mountain, Mount Equinox, Bear Mountain (western Vermont), Mother Myrick Mountain, Rupert Mountain, Mount Aeolus, Dorset Mountain, Woodlawn Mountain, The Pattern, Tinmouth Mountain, Moosehorn Mountain, Saint Catherine Mountain, Susie Peak, Herrick Mountain, Birdseye Mountain (Bird Mountain), Grandpa Knob, and Biddie Knob. Bear Mountain, is prominent peak of the southern Taconic Mountains. Brace Mountain is a prominent mountain in the south Taconic Mountains. Alander Mountain is a prominent peak of the south Taconic Mountains; it is located in southwest Massachusetts and adjacent New York. Mount Frissell, located on the border of southwest Massachusetts and northwest Connecticut, is a prominent peak of the Taconic Range. Mount Race, is a prominent peak in the south Taconic Mountains of Massachusetts. Mount Everett 2624 ft (800 m is the highest peak in the south Taconic Mountains of Massachusetts. Mount Fray, also known as Catamount because of the Catamount Ski Area located on its north slope is a prominent peak of the south Taconic Mountains Shaker Mountain, is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. Tower Mountain, is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. Berry Mountain east peak and west peak, is a prominent mountain in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. Should not be confused with Round Mountain Rounds Mountain, is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts Misery Mountain, with at least ten well-defined summits is a prominent long rideline in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts and adjacent New Berlin Mountain, is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western New England and adjacent New York. Mount Raimer, is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts and adjacent New York. Potter Mountain is a prominent ridgeline located in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts Brodie Mountain, is a prominent long ridgeline in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts, known for the former Brodie Mountain ski area, Mount Greylock 3491 feet (1064 m is the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is located in the northwest corner of the state White Rock, is the name of the high point on a ridgeline in the Taconic Mountains. Grass Mountain is a Mountain located in Bennington County, Vermont. Equinox Mountain (also known as Mount Equinox) is a Mountain in Bennington County, Vermont, United States, outside of Manchester Dorset Mountain located in Vermont, on the border of Rutland and Bennington counties is a Mountain of the Taconic Range. Mount Frissell and Mount Greylock represent the highest elevations in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, respectively.

See also

• Vegetation of New England

References

External links

• Vician Vacations (about the Ordovician Period)