Higby Mountain

Higby Mountain
Ledges of Higby Mountain
Highest point
Elevation	est. 892 ft (272 m) (ridge high point)
Coordinates	41°34′02″N 72°43′28″W / 41.56722°N 72.72444°W / 41.56722; -72.72444Coordinates: 41°34′02″N 72°43′28″W / 41.56722°N 72.72444°W / 41.56722; -72.72444 to 41°31′49″N 72°44′37″W / 41.53028°N 72.74361°W / 41.53028; -72.74361
Geography
Location	Middletown, Meriden, and Middlefield
Parent range	Metacomet Ridge
Geology
Age of rock	200 Ma
Mountain type	Fault-block; igneous
Climbing
Easiest route	Mattabesett Trail

Higby Mountain or Mount Higby 892 feet (272 m), is a traprock mountain ridge located 3.75 miles (6.04 km) east of Meriden, Connecticut. It is part of the narrow, linear Metacomet Ridge that extends from Long Island Sound near New Haven, Connecticut, north through the Connecticut River Valley of Massachusetts to the Vermont border. Higby Mountain is known for its high cliff faces, unique microclimate ecosystems, and rare plant communities. It rises steeply 600 feet (180 m) above the Quinnipiac River valley and the city of Meriden to the west as a continuous 2-mile (3 km) long ledge. The mountain is traversed by the 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail.

Located within the towns of Middletown, Meriden, and Middlefield, Higby Mountain is 3 miles (4.8 km) long by 1.2 miles (1.9 km) wide at its widest point, although rugged topography makes the actual square mileage much larger. Higby Mountain is an important aquifer; two reservoirs and one pond lie at the base of it: Higby Mountain Reservoir at its east foot; Adder Reservoir, on the upper eastern slope; and Black Pond between Besek Mountain and Higby Mountain. The mountain forms a conspicuous, sharp 2-mile (3 km) long cliffline visible throughout the upper Quinnipiac River Valley and metropolitan Meriden. Camel's Hump, est. 750 feet (230 m), also called The Pinnacle is a prominent southern high point on the ridge just above a shallow gap called Preston Notch. (The Pinnacle should not be confused with a similarly named peak on Talcott Mountain, or with Pinnacle Rock of Farmington, Connecticut, both part of the Metacomet Ridge to the north of Higby Mountain). Interstate 91 cuts through the gap between Higby Mountain and Chauncey Peak to the north.