Bear Mountain (Connecticut)
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| Bear Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Bear Mountain summit from trail |
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| Elevation | 709 metres (2,326 feet) |
| Location | Salisbury, Connecticut, USA |
| Range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Prominence | 135 m (445 ft) |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Bash Bish Falls |
| Age of rock | Devonian |
| Easiest route | Hike |
Bear Mountain is the tallest mountain with its peak in Connecticut, USA, at 2,326 feet (709 m). The Appalachian Trail climbs to the summit of Bear Mountain; there is no road to mar the rocky outcroppings and blueberry bushes. From the summit the view includes Twin Lakes and cultivated fields to the east, the Catskills to the west, and Massachusetts' Mount Everett to the north.
A pyramidal stone tower was built on the peak in 1885. The current plaque which was originally on the now-demolished pyramid erroneously calls the peak the highest ground in Connecticut — an honor that belongs to the south slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak is in Massachusetts; it also overestimates the height of the peak.
The pyramid and plaque as well as the identification of Bear Mountain as Connecticut's highest peak and misidentification as Connecticut's highest point are the work of Robbins Battell of Norfolk, Connecticut, who became convinced that the Encyclopædia Britannica was wrong in stating that there was no point in Connecticut over 1,000 feet above sea level, and had the Litchfield Hills surveyed.
Having identified Bear Mountain as the state's highest peak, Battell took out a long-term lease on the land and contracted with mason Owen Travis for a marker, to be visible from the surrounding district. Over the next three years, despite the lack of roads, Travis brought 350 tons of stone to the summit and constructed a pyramidal tower, 20 feet square at the base and 22.5 feet tall, tapering to 10 feet square at the top, building it in the fashion of old Connecticut stone fences, with no mortar. A lightning rod stood another 17 feet above the top of the tower.
Over the years, the tower deteriorated and began to collapse. Restoration was hampered by the lack of access by road. In 1972 a private donor had it restored and topped with a cement cap; shortly afterwards, a group of Boy Scouts restored it once again; and finally in 1978, the eastern corner disintegrated and the tower completely collapsed, leaving the plaque in the ruins. In 1982 and 1983 a movement to have the state take over the site resulted in a decision not to rebuild the tower, and the ruins were stabilized and the plaque set into the rubble.
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