Gile Mountain facts for kids

A view of Vermont's autumn foliage from the Gile Mountain fire tower

Gile Mountain is a cool spot in Windsor County, Vermont. It sits right on the edge of two towns: Norwich and Sharon. The very top of the mountain is in Norwich. Gile Mountain is about 1,873 feet (571 meters) tall. Even though it's quite high, it's hard to see the actual top from far away. This is because it blends in with the other hills around it.

However, there's a tall fire tower on top of Gile Mountain. This tower makes the summit easy to spot! You can reach the tower by hiking a short trail. The trail starts from a parking area on Turnpike Road in Norwich. From the parking spot, the Gile Mountain trail goes west for about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the top. Along the way, you'll walk under some power lines.

At the summit, you'll find an old building. It used to be a ranger cabin, but now it's a shelter. You can't camp there, but it's a nice place to rest. The best part is the fire tower itself!

Amazing Views from the Top

When you climb to the top of the fire tower, you get amazing views. On a clear day, you can see for miles!

• To the south, you might spot Mount Ascutney.
• Look west to see the Green Mountains. You can even see famous peaks like Killington Peak and Mount Mansfield.
• To the east, you'll see mountains like Mount Cardigan, Smarts Mountain, and Croydon Peak.
• Northeast, you can see Mount Cube and Mount Moosilauke. Beyond them, you might even see many of the White Mountains.
• You can also see Dartmouth College, which is about 7 miles (11 km) away.

What is Gile Mountain Made Of?

Gile Mountain is special to geologists, who study rocks and the Earth. It's known for a type of rock formation called the Devonian Gile Mountain Formation. This formation is made of layers of quartzite and schist. You can find these types of rocks all over northeastern Vermont.