The town was sold to a group consisting primarily of soldiers commanded by Colonel Joseph Nightingale and subsequently named "Random".

[4] Island Pond, originally called "Knowlton Pond" in the 19th century to honor Luke Knowlton, who surveyed and laid out the town, is Brighton's largest body of water.

The Clyde River flows out of the north end of Island Pond and proceeds in a northwesterly direction towards Charleston.

The highest point in Brighton is the 2,789-foot (850 m) southern summit of Bluff Mountain, in the northern part of the town.

Vermont Routes 114 and 105 cross the town, joining as Derby Street through Island Pond.

In 1957, a 67-foot (20 m) white spruce was chosen from the town for display as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

The Brighton Snowmobile Club maintains 130 miles (210 km) of trails during the winter.