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Mountain Peaks in Vermont

17 mountain peaks in Vermont with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Rutland County has the most (3). The darkest skies are at Jay Peak (Bortle 2).

Top mountain peaks

Mount MansfieldMountain Peak
Mount MansfieldChittenden County · 1,337 m
Mount SnowMountain Peak
Mount SnowWindham County · 1,092 m
Mount AscutneyMountain Peak
Mount AscutneyWindsor County · 945 m
Equinox MountainMountain Peak
Equinox MountainBennington County · 1,116 m
Killington PeakMountain Peak
Killington PeakRutland County · 1,288 m
Stratton MountainMountain Peak
Stratton MountainWindham County · 1,193 m
Jay PeakMountain Peak
Jay PeakOrleans County · 1,148 m
Snake MountainMountain Peak
Snake MountainAddison County · 394 m
Pico PeakMountain Peak
Pico PeakRutland County · 1,203 m
Mount AbrahamMountain Peak
Mount AbrahamAddison County · 1,207 m
Mount AeolusMountain Peak
Mount AeolusBennington County · 980 m
Mount IndependenceMountain Peak
Mount IndependenceAddison County · 92 m

Mountain Peaks by county

All mountain peaks (17)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Mount MansfieldChittenden County1,337 mStowe3
Mount SnowWindham County1,092 mDover3
Mount AscutneyWindsor County945 mWindsor4
Equinox MountainBennington County1,116 mManchester Center3
Killington PeakRutland County1,288 mMendon3
Stratton MountainWindham County1,193 mJamaica3
Jay PeakOrleans County1,148 mMontgomery2
Snake MountainAddison County394 mAddison3
Pico PeakRutland County1,203 mMendon3
Mount AbrahamAddison County1,207 mLincoln3
Mount AeolusBennington County980 mManchester Center3
Mount IndependenceAddison County92 mTiconderoga4
Big JayFranklin County1,115 mMontgomery2
Mount EllenWashington County1,234 mLincoln3
Burke MountainCaledonia County966 mLyndonville3
Dorset MountainRutland County1,148 mDanby3
Gile MountainWindsor County565 mHanover3

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph mountain peaks

Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.

  • Photograph the peak from a lake, meadow or ridge at sunrise when the face that looks east lights up first.
  • Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
  • Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
  • Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
  • Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.

Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.