Peak Mountain
| Peak Mountain | |
|---|---|
Old Newgate Prison and Salmon Brook Valley from Peak Mountain
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | c. 730 feet (223 m) |
| Parent peak | 41° 58' 13"N, 72° 44' 24"W |
| Coordinates | 41°58′13″N 72°44′24″W / 41.97028°N 72.74000°WCoordinates: 41°58′13″N 72°44′24″W / 41.97028°N 72.74000°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | East Granby, Connecticut |
| Parent range | Metacomet Ridge |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 200 Ma |
| Mountain type | Fault-block; igneous |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Metacomet Trail |
Peak Mountain, also called Copper Mountain, est. 730 feet (220 m), is a traprock mountain located in East Granby, Connecticut, 6 miles (10 km) south of the Massachusetts border and 6 miles west of the Connecticut River. 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. Peak Mountain is known for its expansive views from 200 feet (61 m) high cliffs overlooking the historic Old Newgate Prison, Congamond Lake, and the Salmon Brook Valley of north-central Connecticut. The mountain is also known for its microclimate ecosystems, rare plant communities, and as a seasonal raptor migration path. It is traversed by the 51-mile (82 km) Metacomet Trail.
Roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) long by 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, Peak Mountain rises steeply 400 feet (120 m) above the Salmon Brook Valley to the west and the Connecticut River Valley to the east. The name Peak Mountain applies to the entire ridge while Copper Mountain may apply to the entire ridge or just a ledge, 672 feet (205 m), on the south side of the ridge. The Metacomet Ridge continues north from Peak Mountain to become West Suffield Mountain and south to become Hatchet Hill.
The west side of Peak Mountain drains into Salmon Brook, then into the Farmington River, thence to the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound; the east side drains into the Connecticut River.
Peak Mountain is located directly in line with the approach to Runway 15 at Bradley International Airport. In 1995, American Airlines Flight 1572 clipped trees near the summit while landing at the airport.
...
Wikipedia