Blue Mountain Wilderness Sanctuary

The Blue Mountain Wilderness Sanctuary hosts a range of habitats, stretching from its namesake summit to a low-lying Northern White Cedar Swamp. Logging has not occurred here since the 1990s and the Sanctuary is well on its way to becoming an old forest.

The Sanctuary’s lower elevations are predominantly a second growth mix of white pine, balsam fir, and red maple. Closer towards the summit of Blue Mountain, the forest shifts to a northern hardwood assemblage, with mature American beech, yellow birch, and sugar maple. Many large red oaks tower over the steepest and rockiest slopes above, and together with the beech trees, they offer a substantial source of sustenance for wildlife by producing acorns and beech nuts.

With an abundance of forage, signs of wildlife abound, including antler scrapes left by deer or moose on trees, squirrel midden piles, and small dens. Tracks of coyote, porcupine, and red fox are readily seen after a snowfall, and claw marks on beech and cedar trees tell the stories of bears searching for a hearty autumn snack or marking a corner of their territory.

Blue Mountain is located in a part of Vermont’s Connecticut River Valley that has few other wildlands, making its protection all the more important to provide core habitat to the surrounding landscape. Plans are underway to expand the Sanctuary.

Ryegate, Vermont

825 acres

2,364 feet summit height of Blue Mountain

4 headwater streams to the Connecticut River