Breadloaf Wilderness

Breadloaf Wilderness
A view from Killington View
Map showing the location of Breadloaf Wilderness
Map showing the location of Breadloaf Wilderness
Location in Vermont
Map showing the location of Breadloaf Wilderness
Map showing the location of Breadloaf Wilderness
Location in United States
LocationAddison County, Vermont, US
Nearest cityRipton, Vermont
Coordinates44°01′N 72°55′W / 44.017°N 72.917°W / 44.017; -72.917
Area24,986 acres (10,111 ha)
Established1984
Governing bodyUnited States Forest Service

The Breadloaf Wilderness is one of eight wilderness areas in the Green Mountain National Forest in the U.S. state of Vermont. It was created by the Vermont Wilderness Act of 1984 and later expanded by the New England Wilderness Act of 2006.[2][3] With a total of 24,986 acres (10,111 ha), it is the largest wilderness area in Vermont. The area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.[4][5]

Roughly half of the Breadloaf Wilderness, from its southern boundary at Middlebury Gap to Mount Roosevelt in its interior, was bequeathed to Middlebury College by Joseph Battell (1839–1915), a philanthropist and environmentalist from Middlebury, Vermont, in 1915. The college sold nearly all of Battell's lands to the Forest Service in the 1930s and 1950s. It was the sale of these lands that prompted the Federal government to create the northern unit of the Green Mountain National Forest.

The Long Trail traverses 17.3 miles (27.8 km) through the heart of the Breadloaf Wilderness, from Middlebury Gap to Lincoln Gap at its northern edge. This section of the Long Trail crosses at least ten peaks above 3,000 feet (910 m), the highest of which is Bread Loaf Mountain at 3,835 feet (1,169 m). Additional access to the wilderness is provided by numerous side trails including (from south to north) the Burnt Hill Trail, the Skylight Pond Trail, the Emily Proctor Trail, the Clark Brook Trail, and the Cooley Glen Trail.[6]

Numerous wildlife species thrive in the wilderness. Moose and black bear are said to be present in considerable numbers.[4] Hikers have observed more than 100 forms of life, including at least 70 species of plants and 25 species of animals.[7]

  • A signpost at the edge of the Breadloaf Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest
    On the Emily Proctor Trail at the edge of the Breadloaf Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest
  • The Cooley Glen Shelter on the Long Trail in the Breadloaf Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest
    The Cooley Glen Shelter on the Long Trail in the Breadloaf Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest
  1. ^ Protected Planet Website- Retrieved March 28, 2023
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference GovTrack 1984 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GovTrack 2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference USFS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wilderness Connect was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference GMC Long Trail map was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference iNaturalist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).