White Rock (Taconic Mountains)
Encyclopedia
White Rock, 2550 feet is the name of the high point on a 7 mi (11.3 km) ridgeline in the Taconic Mountains
. The ridge is located in the tri-state corner of New York
, Massachusetts
, and Vermont
in the towns of Petersburgh
, Williamstown
, and Pownal
. The ridge has several distinct knobs; those with names are, from south to north: White Rocks, 2365 feet (720.9 m); Smith Hill, 2330 feet (710.2 m); White Rock, the high point 2550 feet (777.2 m); and Bald Mountain 2485 feet (757.4 m). The Snow Hole
, located along the ridgeline between Bald Mountain and the White Rock, is a crevasse in which snow can be found well into the summer.
, balsam fir
, and northern hardwood
tree species. It is notable for its views of the Hoosic River
valley and Hudson River Valley. The 35 mi (56.3 km) Taconic Crest Trail
traverses the mountain. Portions of the ridge are within protected conservation land, but much of it is privately owned.
The Taconic Mountains continue north from White Rock ridge across the Hoosic River valley as Mount Anthony and south over Petersburgh Pass as Mount Raimer
. The White Rock ridge is flanked to the east across the Hoosic River Valley by the western escarpment of the Green Mountains
. The west side of the ridge drains into the Little Hoosic River, thence into the Hoosic River
, the Hudson River
, and Long Island Sound
. The east side drains into the Hoosic River. Petersburg Pass, located on New York Route 2/ Massachusetts Route 2, cuts over the gap between the southernmost knob of the ridge, White Rocks, and Mount Raimer, at an elevation of 1650 feet (502.9 m).
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...
. The ridge is located in the tri-state corner of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, 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...
, and Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in the towns of Petersburgh
Petersburgh, New York
Petersburgh is a town located in the northeast section of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,563 at the 2000 census. The town was named after an early settler.- History :...
, Williamstown
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,754 at the 2010 census...
, and Pownal
Pownal, Vermont
Pownal is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,560. The town of Pownal includes the villages of Pownal, North Pownal, and Pownal Center.-History:...
. The ridge has several distinct knobs; those with names are, from south to north: White Rocks, 2365 feet (720.9 m); Smith Hill, 2330 feet (710.2 m); White Rock, the high point 2550 feet (777.2 m); and Bald Mountain 2485 feet (757.4 m). The Snow Hole
The Snow Hole
The Snow Hole is located in the Taconic Mountains, New York, USA along the ridge line between Bald Mountain and the White Rock . It is a crevasse in which snow can be found well into the summer. The snow hole can be accessed by hiking the Taconic crest trail about 2.7 miles north from the...
, located along the ridgeline between Bald Mountain and the White Rock, is a crevasse in which snow can be found well into the summer.
Geography
The summit and west side of the ridge are located in New York, the east side in Vermont, and the southeast 2 miles (3.2 km) in Massachusetts. The summit ridge is part meadow and part wooded with red spruceRed Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
, balsam fir
Balsam Fir
The balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
, and 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. It is notable for its views of the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
valley and Hudson River Valley. The 35 mi (56.3 km) Taconic Crest 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...
traverses the mountain. Portions of the ridge are within protected conservation land, but much of it is privately owned.
The Taconic Mountains continue north from White Rock ridge across the Hoosic River valley as Mount Anthony and south over Petersburgh Pass as Mount Raimer
Mount Raimer
Mount Raimer, , is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts and adjacent New York. The west side and summit are located in New York; the east slopes lie within Massachusetts. The summit ridge is part meadow and part wooded with red spruce, balsam fir, and northern hardwood...
. The White Rock ridge is flanked to the east across the Hoosic River Valley by the western escarpment of the Green Mountains
Green Mountains
The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont. The range extends approximately .-Peaks:The most notable mountains in the range include:*Mount Mansfield, , the highest point in Vermont*Killington Peak, *Mount Ellen,...
. The west side of the ridge drains into the Little Hoosic River, thence into the Hoosic River
Hoosic River
The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick and the Hoosuck , is a tributary of the Hudson River in the northeastern United States. The different spellings are the result of varying transliterations of the river's original Algonquian name...
, 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 the Hoosic River. Petersburg Pass, located on New York Route 2/ Massachusetts Route 2, cuts over the gap between the southernmost knob of the ridge, White Rocks, and Mount Raimer, at an elevation of 1650 feet (502.9 m).