Mount Independence Named Best History Hike

The Mount Independence State Historic Site in Orwell, Vermont has been recognized as a 2010 Editors’ Choice in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England.

This designation is awarded by Yankee’s editors and contributors, who name select restaurants, lodgings, and attractions in New England to the list. Recipients range from the rustic to the refined, but all are noteworthy and memorable destinations.

Named by the magazine’s editors as the “Best Hike Through History,” Mount Independence is one of the nation’s best-preserved Revolutionary War sites and features the Baldwin Trail, which meets outdoor standards for handicapped accessibility.

In 1776, the military complex at Mount Independence was one of the largest communities in North America after some 12,000 soldiers built a massive fort to defend against an anticipated British attack from the north.

On the night of July 5, 1777, the American Army under General Arthur St. Clair withdrew from Mount Independence and nearby Fort Ticonderoga without firing a shot after a British force more than twice his size occupied high ground from which they could bombard him with impunity.

The site opens for the season on Saturday, May 29, and on July 24 and 25 hosts the annual “Soldiers Atop the Mount” living history weekend, which features one of the largest Revolutionary War encampments in New England and includes battle re-enactments.

For more information visit www.historicvermont.org

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