The
Green Mountains are a
mountain range in the
U.S. state of
Vermont. The range extends approximately 250 miles (400 km). The most notable mountains in the range include:
- Jay Peak, 3858 ft (1,176 m) Receives the most amount of snowfall on average in the eastern United States
The Green Mountains are part of the
Appalachian Mountains, a range that stretches from
Quebec in the north to
Georgia in the south. .

Map of the main regions of the northeast Appalachians.
The Green Mountains have five peaks over . Three of these (
Mount Mansfield,
Camel's Hump, and Mount Abraham) support alpine vegetation. Mansfield, Killington, and Ellen have downhill ski resorts on their slopes. All of the major peaks are traversed by the
Long Trail, a wilderness
hiking trail that runs from the southern to northern borders of the state and joins the
Appalachian Trail for roughly of its length.
While, as noted above, several of the peaks have alpine vegetation, it should also be pointed out that the Green Mountains, especially the northern sections, support a dense
boreal forest between roughly 3,000-3,500ft and treeline. This forest is particularly well established in the Green Mountains and throughout the winter months weathers harsh temperatures, snowfall and winds that would destroy other species. In other words, much of the "green" in Green Mountains is due to this boreal forest.
The
Vermont Republic, also known less formally 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
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, originally styled "the University of the Green Mountains," is referred to as UVM (after the Latin
Universitas Viridis Montis).
Geology and physiography
The Green Mountains are a
physiographic section of the larger
New England province, which in turn is part of the larger
Appalachian physiographic division.
See also