Mount Tom (Vermont) facts for kids

Mount Tom is a small mountain, about 1,357 feet tall, located in the town of Woodstock, Vermont. It's part of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. This mountain has many trails for hiking, running, and cross-country skiing. It's also home to several spots dedicated to the national park. Mount Tom is right in the middle of Woodstock, Vermont, and hosts many yearly town events, like the Road to the Pogue Race. From the top, you can see the village of Woodstock, its sister mountain (Mount Peg), the Ottauquechee River, Vermont Route 4A, and many other nearby mountains.

Where is Mount Tom?

Mount Tom is in the northeast part of Woodstock, Vermont. It's close to the town of Pomfret, Vermont. Vermont Route 12 and Prosper Road are on its sides. VT Route 4A, which is a big road going east-west in Vermont, is about 1.3 miles southwest of the main entrance to the mountain, called the Faulkner Trail.

Trails to Explore

Mount Tom has four main ways to get onto its trails. These trails crisscross all over the mountain.

One entrance is the Faulkner Trail, found off Mountain Road and Faulkner Park. This trail goes straight from the bottom of Mount Tom to its very top. Another entrance is off Prosper Road. This path leads directly to the Pogue, which is a 14-acre pond made by a dam.

The main entrance to the mountain is inside the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. This entrance leads to a loop of trails that go to the summit, the Pogue, and through the mountain's forest.

All the trails are open all year round. However, they are busiest from May to October. The trails are popular for short hikes in the summer. In the winter, they are great for cross-country skiing. During winter, the trails are prepared and kept smooth for skiers. Along many trails, you can still see parts of old farms from early Vermont settlers. The National Park Service takes care of these historic spots.

The Faulkner Trail

The Faulkner Trail is a very popular path on Mount Tom. It zigzags up the southern side of the mountain, from the bottom all the way to the top. From the peak, you get an amazing view of the town of Woodstock, Vermont. Marianne Faulkner built this trail for her husband more than 75 years ago. Today, people use the trail for beautiful walks. It also connects the Woodstock Trail System to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.

Local groups and the National Park Service recently fixed up the trail. In 2004, the Billings Park Commission started to restore it. Most of the work was done by crews from the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC). They worked with experts to repair stonework, clean out water pipes, and fix the trail surface in Faulkner Park. The Faulkner Trail starts at Faulkner Park and is about 3.75 miles long.

Amazing Wildlife

Mount Tom has many different kinds of animals. Because it has various places for animals to live, like woods, open fields, and ponds, you can find everything from frogs to mammals to rare birds and reptiles. Both the animals and plants are diverse and are carefully protected by the National Park Service.

Mammals

Mount Tom is home to many animals common in Vermont and New England. The most often seen mammals are eastern chipmunks, red and gray squirrels, woodchucks, and white-tailed deer. Animals that come out at night include raccoons and skunks. You might rarely see foxes, fisher cats, or black bears.

Birds

Many birds on Mount Tom are seasonal songbirds common in Vermont. Both during certain seasons and all year, mostly songbirds live in the forest. One example is the Hermit thrush, which is Vermont's state bird. Various types of owls, like barred and barn owls, hunt at night and are very common on the mountain. Near the Pogue pond, birds like Great Blue herons come to find food.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Mount Tom has many different types of places for animals to live. Its water areas, like the Pogue pond and many streams, support reptiles and amphibians. You can find many common kinds of frogs, salamanders, and toads in the water and streams on Mount Tom. Also near the pond, reptiles like snapping and painted turtles live. Snakes are not very common on the mountain. However, you might spot common types like garter, milk, and red-belly snakes on the forest floor.

Plant Life

Mount Tom has many trees that are not originally from this area. This is because Frederick H. Billings, who owned the land before it became a park, planted different kinds of trees from other parts of the world. These include Norway spruce, red pine, and European larch. He also planted trees that were more local, such as sugar maples, beeches, and birch trees. Some of these trees lose their leaves in the fall. They are famous in Vermont for their bright colors every autumn. Trees like pine, spruce, and larch are evergreens, meaning they keep their leaves all year.

The mountain also has many different types of Ferns. The most common types are Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern) and the Athyrium (lady fern).

Fun Local Events

Many local events happen on Mount Tom because it's in a central spot and important to the community. These events include yearly races, science explorations, and local gatherings that celebrate community and local food.

Road to the Pogue Race

The Road to the Pogue is a yearly 6.1-mile running race. It takes place on the old carriage trails of Mount Tom. Many people from the Woodstock community run this race every year. The course goes along the most beautiful parts of the mountain and National Park. It offers views of Mount Ascutney, a lap around the Pogue pond, and then back down to the south peak of Mount Tom, looking over the village of Woodstock.

BioBlitz 2016

BioBlitz was a special science event for everyone. It was organized by the National Park Service and the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. The goal was to get local people involved in finding and identifying different species in the park. This was part of a bigger effort by the National Park Service in 2016 to celebrate its 100th birthday. It was a day to explore the mountain and learn about the living things there. Park rangers led tours on the trails to help people learn as much as they could. The purpose was for community members to help identify plants and animals on Mount Tom and in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. All the findings were added to the Vermont Atlas of Life.

Trek to Taste

Trek to Taste is a yearly event in Woodstock that celebrates local foods. It happens on the trails of Mount Tom and in the National Park. During this event, you can go on guided walks along the trails. There are also samples of fresh farm food along the paths, arts and crafts, trail games, scavenger hunts, and community health displays. Plus, there's an Ice Cream Social!

Peak-to-Peak-to-Pogue

Peak-to-Peak-to-Pogue is a yearly fall event hosted by the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park with many partners. The event encourages visitors to hike a seven-mile round trip. This hike includes the south Peak of Mount Tom, the North Peak, and then over to the Pogue, a 15-acre pond in the National Park. Most years, the National Park Service offers guided hikes, family activities, and a special non-alcoholic cider for those who finish the hike.

Images for kids

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  Mount Tom in the winter snow.