The Pinnacle is the highest and most scenic peak (about 1,683 feet) in Westminster, Vermont. It is located on Windmill Ridge, straddling the Brookline/Westminster line. The view from the Pinnacle overlooks Hedgehog Gulf in Brookline and westward to Mount Snow and Stratton Mountain, over 20 miles away.

The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association has finalized the purchase of an important parcel of wild forest and ponds in southern Vermont. The Lily Pond Highlands covers more than 600 acres in Brookline, Athens, and Townshend, just west of the Pinnacle ridgeline and directly within view from the Pinnacle summit.

This land is important to conserve because its forest offers a habitat for bear and moose, and its two pristine ponds are home to beaver colonies, a heron rookery, and several species of ducks. Its wetlands and vernal pools support the endangered Northern bulrush and other uncommon plants. Wood turtles, a species of conservation concern in Vermont, live on the property in the watershed of Grassy Brook. Development is already encroaching into the adjoining valley and ridge, and acquiring the property will permanently protect it from being developed.

The entire property is part of a priority habitat block for the state, and it connects to another large conserved area to the south. Allowing the trees to continue to grow on this tract will capture carbon from the atmosphere to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The next steps include securing a conservation easement and establishing a trail for low-impact public access.

The Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association website has maps of trails in the area.  These publicly accessible lands include a 27-mile hiking trail system and wildlife sanctuary.