Peaked Mountain (Massachusetts)

[1] The principal landowners of its western slope, Leonard and Roslyn Harrington and Richard Elliott, have long permitted the public to hike through their properties to the summit.

Peaked Mountain is the highest point on a north-south ridge extending well into Connecticut, and lies at the heart of an extensive natural area that has remained mostly undeveloped.

[citation needed] The mountain and its surroundings boast an impressive diversity of habitats, including forests of various deciduous/evergreen compositions, rocky outcrops, ponds, streams, marshes, and beaver swamps.

In between lies a sweep of rolling New England countryside with forested hills and ridges, valley farms, and small villages.

[2] Road Names The Co-op emerged in the aftermath of the Peaked Mountain fire that burned over 200 acres (0.81 km2) in 1984.

As the fire-fighters were struggling to get hoses, pumps, and other equipment up the steep logging trail, Roslyn Harrington suggested to her husband, that they, with the help of some neighbors, should create a better road system as a defense to future conflagrations.

Another important project undertaken by the Co-op is the construction of the fire pond, located part way up the mountain.

In an area cleared for a logging yard, the Co-op recently started an orchard with apple and pear trees.

[3] The ascent from the main entrance to the summit is a gradual, 467-foot (142 m) gain in elevation that is strenuous in places and takes 45 minutes.

Common visitor activities include local walkers and hikers, some with dogs; horseback riding, mountain biking, bird watching, nature enjoyment, cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter months.

The area offers great potential for interpretation of land use history, including frontier farms, millponds, and charcoal production for the early iron industry.