Mount Wachusett

Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett
	Mount Wachusett in winter
Highest point
Elevation	2,006 ft (611 m)
Prominence	922 ft (281 m)
Coordinates	42°29′20″N 71°53′15″W / 42.48889°N 71.88750°W
Naming
English translation	"Near the mountain", "Mountain place"
Language of name	Natick Indian
Geography
	Mount Wachusett Mount Wachusett
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester County
Towns	Princeton and Westminster
Geology
Age of rock	250 million years
Mountain type	Metamorphic rock; monadnock
Climbing
Easiest route	Auto road, ski lift, or Pine Hill trail.

Mount Wachusett is a mountain in Massachusetts. It straddles towns of Princeton and Westminster, in Worcester County. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a popular hiking and skiing destination (see 'Wachusett Mountain Ski Area"). An automobile road, open spring to fall, ascends to the summit. Views from the top of Mount Wachusett include Mount Monadnock to the north, Mount Greylock to the west, southern Vermont to the northwest, and Boston to the east. The mountain is traversed by the 92 mi (148 km) Midstate Trail. It is also home to the Wachusett Mountain State Reservation.

A band of old growth forest along rock ledges 500 feet (150 m) below the summit supports trees from 150 to 370 years old.^[1] Covering 220 acres (89 ha), it is the largest known old growth forest east of the Connecticut River in Massachusetts.

^ Mary Byrd Davis (23 January 2008). "Old Growth in the East: A Survey". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.

[OldGrowthEastUS-1] Mary Byrd Davis (23 January 2008). "Old Growth in the East: A Survey". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.

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