Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area

This old-growth forest at the foot of Blue Mountain is located along the Creek Trail loop that starts on higher elevation above the biggest ravine/valley in the 1,025 acres of the Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area. The old-growth area is in a small valley on the western boundary, estimated at 75-100 acres. It has at least ten tree species -- red and white oaks, tulip trees, beech, hickory, and maple, plus understory trees: hemlock (small but old), sassafras, mountain maple, striped maple, birch, and witch hazel. The estimated age of some of the older oaks is that they sprouted circa 1900. There is substantial moisture at ground level, with at least two narrow creeks running straight down the slope, ending in a wider stream. In the spring, the trail at the ravine's bottom has many examples of mosses, club moss, princess pine, and ferns. There is a notable range of fungi and mushrooms in this area, far greater than in other areas of the Big Tree. There is also a population of a native orchid called Rattlesnake Plantain.