Mountain
Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary sits at the base of Knox Mountain, which rises at its peak to 3084′ elevation. It boasts a mix of ecosystems at the summit, with beautiful views of the area. The elevation of Sage Mountain, much of which climbs above 2000′ above sea level, is a key factor in the rich biodiversity found on this land, providing unique ecosystems not found at lower elevations such as the Northern White Cedar Seepage Forest.
Ridges of granite that were sculpted by glaciers measuring up to 9,000 feet thick create the landscape of Central Vermont that we see today. Evidence of the glaciers can be seen just about everywhere at Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary. Glacial erratics (giant boulders) dot the landscape, as do glacial erosional scars like chatter marks, striations, glacial polish, potholes, and ponds.
This mountain evolved in the Devonian age, and features a Northern Vermont Piedmont forest habitat with light-gray, medium-grained quartz-rich, biotite-muscovite granite distinct in its percentage of potassium feldspar. The soil is comprised of very stony Buckland loam, very stony but fine sandy Colrain loam, Cabot silt loam and Tunbridge-Woodstock complex.