East Mountain (Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Mountain |
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View of Snake Pond from East Mountain
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | ridge high point |
| Geography | |
| Location | Westfield, West Springfield, and Holyoke, Massachusetts |
| Parent range | Metacomet Ridge |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | 200 Ma |
| Mountain type | Fault-block; igneous |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Metacomet-Monadnock Trail |
East Mountain is a cool mountain ridge in Massachusetts. It's made of a special type of rock called traprock. This mountain is part of a long chain of mountains called the Metacomet Ridge. This ridge stretches from Long Island Sound in Connecticut all the way up to the Vermont border.
East Mountain is famous for its amazing cliffs and beautiful views. It also has unique natural areas where special plants and animals live. A long hiking path, the 110-mile (180 km) Metacomet-Monadnock Trail, goes right over it.
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Exploring East Mountain's Landscape
East Mountain rises steeply from the valleys below. It's about 9 miles (14 km) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide at its widest part. The highest point of the mountain is 776 feet (237 m) above sea level.
You'll find many small lakes, ponds, and reservoirs on the mountain. One interesting spot is Snake Pond. This pond is a "kettle pond," which means it formed when a large chunk of ice from a glacier melted a long, long time ago.
Where is East Mountain?
East Mountain is located near the towns of Westfield, West Springfield, and Holyoke, Massachusetts. It stretches from the Westfield River up to the base of Mount Tom. The Metacomet Ridge continues north as the Mount Tom Range and south as Provin Mountain.
Water from the west and south sides of the mountain flows into the Westfield River. This river then joins the Connecticut River and eventually reaches Long Island Sound. Water from the north and east sides of the mountain flows directly into the Connecticut River.
Water on the Mountain
East Mountain is very important for providing drinking water to nearby towns and cities. Because of this, several reservoirs have been built on its slopes. These include Bearhole Reservoir, McLean Reservoir, and Ashley Reservoir. They store water for people to use every day.
How East Mountain Was Formed
East Mountain, like much of the Metacomet Ridge, is made of basalt. This rock is also known as traprock. It's a type of volcanic rock.
The mountain started forming about 200 million years ago. This was during the Triassic Period. At that time, the continents of North America, Africa, and Eurasia were slowly pulling apart. Hot lava from deep inside the Earth pushed up through cracks. This lava then cooled and hardened into thick layers of rock.
Later, big shifts in the Earth's crust caused these rock layers to tilt. This tilting created the steep cliffs and the long ridge shape of East Mountain that we see today.
Special Nature on the Mountain
East Mountain has a mix of different environments. Some slopes are hot and dry, while ravines are cool and moist. There are also rocky ledges made of broken basalt pieces. This creates unique "microclimates" (small areas with different weather conditions). These special areas support plants and animals that are not common in other parts of Massachusetts.
East Mountain is also an important path for raptors (like hawks and eagles) when they migrate.
Fun Things to Do and Protecting the Mountain
East Mountain is a great place for outdoor activities. People enjoy hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, and snowshoeing here. Even though it's not the tallest mountain, it has more open rocky ledges than any other mountain in Massachusetts. These ledges offer amazing views of the countryside to the west and the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts to the east.
Protecting East Mountain
The mountain and its special habitats face some challenges. One challenge is suburban sprawl, which means more houses and buildings are being built nearby. Another big issue is quarrying, where rock is dug out of the mountain. In fact, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the southern part of the mountain ridge has been greatly changed by quarrying.
A large part of the mountain is protected because it's part of the watershed lands (areas that collect water for reservoirs). However, much of the mountain is still private land.
In 2000, East Mountain was studied by the National Park Service. They were looking into creating a new long-distance hiking path called the New England National Scenic Trail. This trail would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts and other trails in Connecticut.
