Marshall Forest

Marshall Forest has one of the last stands of old-growth pine-hardwood timber in northwest Georgia. Once part of the Cherokee Nation’s lands, Marshall Forest covers 301 acres of pine-hardwood forest in Floyd County, near Rome in northwest Georgia. Ranging in elevation from 600-900 feet, the site is home to over 300 species of plants and 55 tree species in three distinct plant communities: pine-oak, chestnut oak, and mixed hardwood forest. It is thought that periodic ice storms (like the 1993 blizzard) and fires open the canopy for pine growth, preventing domination by a single plant community. The forest is home to Georgia's largest population of the endangered large-flowered skullcap, a perennial herb in the mint family. The site is also home to a wealth of fauna, including frogs, salamanders, at least six species of snake, and dozens of bird species. Marshall Forest was the first National Natural Landmark in Georgia, designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1966.

• View All Network Forests in the State of Georgia

• View All Network Forests in the U.S.

• View All Forest Designations