Jerimoth Hill

Located in the backwoods of Rhode Island, the low lying Jerimoth Hill is the highest point in the state. Coming in at 812 feet high, it ranks 45th among its fellow state high points. Climbing it may not seem like a very impressive feat, until you consider that it was nearly completely inaccessible for decades.

For “highpointers,” people who make a hobby of visiting the highest point in every state, Rhode Island’s tiny hill is not much of a challenge. Compared to Alaska’s Denali, which sits at 20,320 feet above sea level, the smallest state’s biggest mountain is rather measly. However, in the early 1980’s, the small hill, capped with a low, flat boulder and a small cairn, became the hardest peak to climb.

This was thanks to one Henry Richardson who purchased the land around Jerimoth Hill and immediately set up a perimeter. Richardson installed motion detectors and countless “No Trespassing” signs. It was said that if he caught explorers, highpointers, or other climbers on his land, the cranky landowner would scream at, threaten, and generally harass them off his land.

In 1998, facing pressure from the highpointing community, Richardson finally dropped his guard. Eventually, the land was sold to new owners who seemed more than happy to welcome the climbers. The land has since been ceded to the State of Rhode Island, and scaling Jerimoth Hill is now almost literally a walk in the park.