Daniel Johnson Nature Preserve

Daniel Johnson Nature Preserve and the adjacent Herbert Taylor Park both include remnants of the old-growth hickory beech forest that was present when the Muscogee Native Americans (also known as Creek Native Americans because they lived near waterways) ceded this land to the US Government in the 1820s. Some trees are150-180 years old and possibly older. Trees with large multiple stems, including American Hazelnut, native Mulberry, Cottonwood, and several champion trees, are found there. Extensive populations of Trillium and Sweet Cicely are also found here. These parks contain portions of the complicated soil networks characteristic of old-growth forests, in addition to encompassing several distinct habitats. For example, the low wetland area in the southeastern part of the park hosts a different group of trees and plants than does the nearby slope in the southwestern section of the park. The area near the confluence of Rock Creek and the South Fork of Peachtree Creek is yet another type of habitat.