Owl's Head Mountain

Owl's Head Mountain at 1,958 feet is the highest point in Groton State Forest, Vermont's largest state forest at over 26,000 acres of contiguous protected land in the remote northeast kingdom foothills. The restored fire tower on the summit provides the finest 360-degree panoramic view in central Vermont, encompassing the entire Groton Forest lake district below, the distant ridgelines of the Green Mountains to the west, the Connecticut River valley to the east, and on exceptionally clear days the White Mountains of New Hampshire on the northeastern horizon. The approach trail climbs steadily through northern hardwood transitioning to boreal spruce-fir, with the forest character becoming increasingly wild and remote-feeling as elevation increases. Groton State Forest contains a remarkable concentration of glacial features including kettlehole ponds, eskers, drumlins, and kame terraces — all visible in the landscape perspective from the summit tower. Loon calling from Kettle Pond and Ricker Pond below drifts up to the summit on still mornings. The forest harbors one of Vermont's best populations of American marten, a boreal mustelid that requires large areas of mature conifer forest and is absent from most of southern New England. Moose are abundant throughout the forest and frequently encountered on the trail, particularly in boggy sections of the approach. The fire tower was restored by Vermont's historic fire tower preservation program and is climbable during summer park hours.