Taconic Mountains

Taconic Mountains
The Taconic peak Mount Greylock, highest point in Massachusetts
Highest point
Peak	Equinox Mountain (Bennington County, Vermont)
Elevation	3,850 ft (1,170 m)
Geography
Orogenies of the northeast United States
Country	United States
State	New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont
Region	western New England, eastern New York
Range coordinates	42°41′N 73°17′W / 42.69°N 73.29°W / 42.69; -73.29Coordinates: 42°41′N 73°17′W / 42.69°N 73.29°W / 42.69; -73.29
Parent range	Appalachian Mountains
Biome	Northern hardwood forest, Appalachian balds, Taiga, Pitch Pine/Scrub Oak uplands
Geology
Orogeny	Taconic Orogeny
Age of rock	440 million years
Type of rock	Thrust fault

The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range (/təˈkɒnᵻk/) 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 Vermont. The range includes notable summits such as Mount Equinox and Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. Currently local residents, along with the prominent 19th century geologist, T. Nelson Dale, consider the Mount Greylock Massif as a subsidiary of the main Taconic Range to the west.

The Taconic Range is known for its ecological value, conservation land, scenic landscapes, natural beauty, and recreational opportunities. It contains several hundred miles of trails including sections of the 2,175-mile (3,500 km) Appalachian Trail and over sixty designated areas of land protected by federal, state, county, and municipal, government agencies and non-profit organizations. The range has been targeted for conservation by government agencies in four states, the federal government, and over a dozen non-profit organizations. The Nature Conservancy calls the Berkshire Taconic landscape, which includes part of the Taconic Range, one of its "Last Great Places." Multiple government and non-profit conservation partnerships have been formed with the intention of conserving the Taconic landscape and ecosystem.

"Taconic", a Native American name, was once transliterated as the Taghkanic or Taughannock, meaning "in the trees" and used as the name of a Lenape chieftain. Taghkanic is still used in parts of eastern New York, as in the name of a small town in the region, for both features within and outside the Taconic Mountains region.