Belden Forest

Belden forest is a readily accessible gem in the heart of town. The trail layout and gently rolling hills make it feel much larger than the 40 acres that it is. The first part of the trail leads through an impressive beech grove – and although many of the beech show advanced signs of beech bark disease, there are many young beech filling in the gaps. Moving along the trail you will see impressive white oaks, black oaks, red oaks, and red maples. But most impressive of all are the large, straight, soaring-to-the-skies white pines. The white pines are the grandest trees in this forest, and some cores show them to be around 150 years old. One was measured to be 144 feet tall. Regeneration of white pines can be witnessed in the gaps. Black birch and chestnut oaks appear toward the center of the forest. A thick duff layer and lack of invasives add to the delightful experience of hiking this beautiful protected forest.

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