Vermont lies within two natural regions, or physiographic provinces, of the northeastern United States and Canada. The New England province in Vermont is broken into the Green Mountain section, the New England Upland, the Taconic section, and the White Mountain section. The St. Lawrence Valley province extends into Vermont in the Champlain Valley. The heavily forested Green Mountains cover much of the state. They run from the Massachusetts border to Canada and contain Mount Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont at 4,393 ft. The New England Upland, or Vermont Piedmont, is a rolling upland with narrow valleys. It slopes gently downward to the east. Isolated peaks, such as Mount Monadnock and Mount Ascutney, rise to above 3,000 ft, but the plateau is generally between 1,100 and 2,100 ft in elevation.

The Taconic section, located in the southwest, is a mountain region that contains the state’s largest marble deposits. The highest point in the Taconic Range is Mount Equinox at 3,816 ft.

The White Mountains extend into northeastern Vermont from New Hampshire. They are heavily forested residual masses, with a solid core of granite that has resisted erosion.

The Champlain section of the St. Lawrence Valley province lies between the western border of Vermont and the Green and Taconic mountains. It is a rolling lowland region generally less than 500 ft above sea level. Large areas are covered with thick deposits of clay and sand left by glaciers.

Most rivers in Vermont drain down the eastern slopes of the Green Mountains into the Connecticut River or down the western slopes of the mountains into Lake Champlain. Rivers in southwestern Vermont drain into the Hudson River. The longest river is Otter Creek, which is about 100 mi long. Other rivers include the Mettawee, Batten Kill, Winooski, Lamoille, Missisquoi, and the Passumpsic, White, Ottauquechee, and West rivers.

Vermont contains more than 60 percent of Lake Champlain, which is shared with New York and the province of Québec. Another large lake, Lake Memphremagog, forms part of the boundary between Vermont and Québec. About one-fourth of the lake lies in Vermont. There are about 300 smaller lakes scattered throughout the state. The largest lake entirely within the state is Lake Bomoseen. The highest lake is Lake of the Clouds, situated at about 4,000 ft on the slopes of Mount Mansfield. Chittenden and Somerset reservoirs are the principal artificial water bodies.

Vermont’s scenery and recreational facilities make the state a popular year-round vacation area. Residents and tourists alike enjoy the many scenic areas and picturesque communities in the state, especially during the weeks of the fall foliage. During the winter the state’s many ski areas attract skiers from all over the East Coast. Other favorite activities include year-round fishing in the state’s ponds, lakes, and streams; hunting; and visiting Vermont’s numerous historic sites.

Green Mountain National Forest covers an area of 140,000 hectares (345,000 acres) in two sections along the crest of the Green Mountains. The forest, which includes winter sports areas and a wide variety of recreational facilities, is a rugged and scenic area traversed by about 130 km (about 80 mi) of the Long Trail, a hiking path extending from Massachusetts to Canada. The largest of Vermont’s six state forests is Mount Mansfield State Forest. Located in the north central part of the state, the forest includes a popular New England ski resort. Among the mountain’s scenic attractions is Smugglers Notch, a scenic gorge through which contraband goods were smuggled from Canada to New England during the War of 1812. Within the state forests are state recreation areas. These areas have facilities for such outdoor activities as picnicking, camping, hiking, and riding.

Parks covering about 36,000 hectares (about 90,000 acres) are operated by the department of forests and parks. These parks have facilities for various outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, swimming, and picnicking. Some of the state parks, including Crystal Lake, Bomoseen, and Branbury, are located along the shorelines of small lakes. Others, such as Grand Isle, Sand Bar, North Hero, and Button Bay, lie on the shore of Lake Champlain. Parts of some state forests, such as Calvin Coolidge State Forest, have been developed for use as state parks and forest recreation areas.

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