The Regions Of Vermont
Champlain Valley:
The Champlain Valley is a region around Lake Champlain in Vermont and New York extending north slightly into Quebec, Canada. It is part of the St. Lawrence River drainage basin, drained northward by the Richelieu River into the St. Lawrence at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec (northeast of Montreal). The Richelieu valley is not generally referred to as part of the Champlain Valley.
The Champlain Lake Valley is the most heavily populated region in Vermont, broadly stretching eastward from the lake’s shore to the base of the Green Mountains. The state’s largest city, Burlington, is located on the lake, and the city’s associated suburban communities encompass part of the central section of the valley. Beyond urbanized Chittenden County, however, the valley’s landscape is primarily open pasture and row crops, making the Champlain Valley the most productive agricultural region of Vermont.
Green Mountains:
The Green Mountains, is a mountain range of Vermont. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately 250 miles (400 km) from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The part of the same range that is in Massachusetts and Connecticut is known as The Berkshires or the Berkshire Hills, with the Connecticut portion, mostly in Litchfield County, locally called the Northwest Hills or Litchfield Hills and the Quebec portion is called the Sutton Mountains, or Monts Sutton.
All mountains in Vermont are often referred to as the “Green Mountains”. “Green” because even with winter snow the trees hide the snow and they still appear “Green”. However, other ranges within Vermont, including the Taconics—in southwestern Vermont’s extremity—and the Northeastern Highlands, are not geologically part of the Green Mountains.
Mount Manisfield:
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at 4,395 feet above sea level. The summit is located within the town of Underhill in Chittenden County; the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe in Lamoille County, and the mountain’s flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.
When viewed from the east or west, this mountain has the appearance of a (quite elongated) human profile, with distinct forehead, nose, lips, chin, and Adam’s apple. These features are most distinct when viewed from the east; unlike most human faces, the chin is the highest point.
Mount Mansfield is one of three spots in Vermont where true alpine tundra survives from the Ice Ages. A few acres exist on Camel’s Hump and Mount Abraham nearby and to the south, but Mount Mansfield’s summit still holds about 200 acres. In 1980, the Mount Mansfield Natural Area was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Located in Mount Mansfield State Forest, the mountain is used for various recreational and commercial purposes. “The Nose” is home to transmitter towers for a number of regional radio and TV stations. There are many hiking trails, including the Long Trail, which traverses the main ridgeline. In addition, the east flank of the mountain is used by the Stowe Mountain Resort for winter skiing. A popular tourist activity is to take the 4.5-mile toll road (a steep, mostly unpaved road with several hairpin turns) from the Stowe Base Lodge to “The Nose” and then hike along the ridge to “The Chin.”
Northeast Kingdom:
The Northeast Kingdom is the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties and having a population at the 2010 census of 64,764. In Vermont, the written term “NEK” is often used. The term “Northeast Kingdom” is attributed to George D. Aiken, former Governor of Vermont and a U.S. senator, who first used the term in a 1949 speech. The area is often referred to by Vermonters simply as “The Kingdom.”
Because of its three-county extent, it includes several “gateway” towns: at the southeastern corner, St. Johnsbury, just a few miles from the New Hampshire border; to the north, Newport and Derby, close to the Canada–US border; and to the southwest, Hardwick and Danville.
Interstate 91, Interstate 93, U.S. Route 5, and U.S. Route 2 are the main roads that connect travelers to the Northeast Kingdom.