| Black Cap Mountain | |
|---|---|
  Black Cap Mountain Penobscot County, Maine, U.S. | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,020 ft (310 m) |
| Prominence | 570 ft (170 m) |
| Coordinates | 44°45′13″N 68°33′58″W / 44.753611°N 68.566111°W / 44.753611; -68.566111 |
| Geography | |
| Location | Penobscot County, Maine, U.S. |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Hiking, class 1 |
Black Cap Mountain is a 1,020 foot (310 m) mountain in Penobscot County, Maine, United States.[1] The mountain is 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Eddington, Maine, and the Penobscot River.[2] It is accessible from Maine Route 46, near its intersection with The Airline (State Route 9).
The mountain is named for its granite peak, which is mostly bare with a few scrubby trees. From the mountain there is a panoramic view of western Maine, the Western Maine Mountains, and the eastern portion of the White Mountain National Forest.[3]
Black Cap consists of a range of hills, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, with an average breadth of 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide.[2] Both Boy Scout Camp Roosevelt and Fitts Pond sit at the base of the mountain.[4] The summit is home to a number of microwave,[5] radio and television broadcasting antennas, including WMEHofMaine Public Radio.[6]
The mountain is prominent in the area and is part of the southeastern vista of Bangor.[7] It can also be seen from the Penobscot Bay and the sea.[8] The area around the mountain has been affected by several natural disasters. The 1938 New England hurricane leveled the surrounding forest,[9] and a spruce forest was planted in its place.[3] The mountain also has beech trees and blueberry bushes. The latter began to grow after a series of forest fires swept through the area in the 1800s clearing the forest and opening the land.[3]
The Katahdin Area Council, owners of the 1,800 acres (730 ha) Camp Roosevelt,[10] own two-thirds of the mountain. Private landholders own the rest of the land, with energy company Emera owning one acre on the summit of the mountain for a radio tower.[11]
The mountain has a popular hiking trail, whose trailhead adjoins the parking lot for Camp Roosevelt.[12][13]
review of book: "Thirty-Eight, The Hurricane that Transformed New England", by Stephen Long 2016
