Hunger Mountain Headwaters

Take a look at any of Vermont’s rolling green mountains, and you might feel like a lot of them look the same. But when you enter their lush forests and scramble to their summits, the truth is always clear: every mountain in Vermont delivers its own experience. And this is particularly true with Hunger Mountain—just north of the state’s capital city, Montpelier.

Standing on this summit, you’ll witness long-range views of the White Mountains to the east, Adirondacks to the west, and almost every peak in the northern Green Mountains. It’s like having a front-row view to New England’s premier outdoor playgrounds.

What makes Hunger Mountain unique is its utter lack of development. While most mountain ranges in the state contain, at the very least, some road crossings—or perhaps entire ski resorts—Hunger Mountain is unblemished. But in 2020, this land was at risk of being sold and developed. That’s when Trust for Public Land became involved with local organizations—including Stowe Land Trust, the State of Vermont, and generous donors—to protect this land permanently.

Today, Hunger Mountain and the surrounding 1,800 acres of pristine Vermont woodlands are absorbed into C.C. Putnam State Forest, securing critical wildlife habitat, protecting the Winooski River Watershed, and ensuring the remote character of the state’s most popular hiking destinations.

The land will continue to provide vital habitat for wildlife, including moose, bear, brook trout, bobcat, and Bicknell’s thrush—a species of global conservation concern. With an expansive forest of maple, birch, and spruce and 17 acres of prime wetlands, the Hunger Mountain Headwaters are emblematic of Vermont’s great outdoors.

“I want to congratulate the Trust for Public Land, the Stowe Land Trust, and the State of Vermont for their work to protect the Hunger Mountain Headwaters,” says Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.  “Thanks to this conservation effort, the many benefits forests provide—including outdoor recreation opportunities, wildlife habitat, and improved water quality—will be realized in perpetuity.”