Looking for examples of natural forests

[livinoutdoors]

Howdy! Was wondering if anybody on here knew of any natural forested or woodland examples. What i mean is stuff the way it looked before timber harvest , ag , etc... old growth forest or the like. Not for hunting , more of a naturalist endeavor. Interested in the whole state or surrounding states. Mountains, piedmont, coastal plains. Thanks!

 

[NCHillbilly]

Cataloochee Valley in the GSMNP has a good bit of old-growth, mostly in the Caldwell Fork area. The Boogerman Trail is a good walk through some of it. The two tallest trees in the eastern US are in Cataloochee.

Other good examples of old-growth I can think of offhand are the Joyce Kilmer Forest near Robbinsville, NC, the Albright Grove on the TN side of the GSMNP, and the Four Hole Swamp/Francis Beidler Forest near Charleston, SC. Old Growth is almost non-existant in the Piedmont. There is an old-growth longleaf pine savannah in Montgomory County, NC, and a few more scattered through the southeast.

 

[Deer Fanatic]

The Joseph Jones Ecological research facility in SW Ga would be a good example. Right on the Ichuawaynotchaway creek to boot.

 

[notnksnemor]

If you're interested in swamp land too, the Okefenokee will humble you.

 

[1eyefishing]

While not actually a forest, one of my favorite natural habitats (one that has not been manipulated by man in any way at any time) is the square miles and miles of coastal marsh that Georgia has residing behind all of its barrier Islands.

 

[Nicodemus]

There`s a few hidden gems scattered around some of the plantations and big farms in Southwest Georgia and the Panhandle of Florida. Some of those big woods and longleaf savannahs will humble you.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Thank! Those sound like some great places to check out. Just interested in how things once were. For my own education and improving woodsmanship.

 

[creekrunner]

Moody Forest area on the Altamaha River in Appling county

 

[JackSprat]

There is a preserve on the lower Altamaha of cypress trees. Don't recall the name although I've been through it several times. Old age is a bear (for me, not the trees).

I was part of logging a virgin forest in White Oak Ga, in the early 80's. Some of those old growth long leaf pines were one to the truck. The family may have held some back, but getting access is going to be next to impossible.

There may be some other patches of privately owned land along the lower Altamaha that are just too wet to timber. There are many large tracts that have been in the same family since before the civil war.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Thanks, that may be something to look into. I hadn't though about trying to get access to private land.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Hey hillbilly, do you happen to know the height of those trees? I assume they are white pines

 

[Anvil Head]

There is a section on the Congaree River SE of Columbia, SC that is now a preserve (used to be private). Had 20 something documented World Class Record trees. Got to walk through there back in the early 70's and there were muskeedine vines big enough for saw timber. Practically no understory except for ferns because the canopy was so high and thick. Jurrasic Park ambiance. Not sure how it's regulated or accessed now. Check with SC State Parks.

 

[livinoutdoors]

I was just reading about that place, its definitely on the list .

 

[Red dirt clod]

Near Suches a place called Valley of the Giants at Coopers creek has some old growth timber. Easy walking access, Tulip popular and some pine. Another in East Tennessee near Gatlinburgh is the Laurel falls area, go past the falls and continue up the trail a good ways. You will know when you’re there. Very impressive!

 

[ClemsonRangers]

congaree lost a lot of old growth pines during hugo

joyce kilmer, all the large hemlocks are dead now

we drove this last week and it was nice, lots of parking too, not too many people

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/roaringfork.htm

 

[livinoutdoors]

Thanks! Lots of good suggestions to check out!

 

[JackSprat]

http://www.savannahnow.com/article/20100830/NEWS/308309881

[QUOTE
Lewis Island Natural Area

[Fig. 16(1)] Without sandy beaches and high-rise condominiums, this is not what people generally imagine when you say "island." But Lewis Island, located five miles up the Altamaha River, is accessible only by boat and is a natural treasure that has fascinated scientists and naturalists alike. The 8-mile-long island contains a remnant of the great hardwood forests that bordered Georgia's Coastal Plain rivers, including the largest known grove of virgin tidewater cypress and tupelo gum trees in Georgia. One 300-acre stand of baldcypress has trees 6 to 7 feet in diameter, which are estimated to be 1,000 years old, with one tree believed to be over 1,300 years old.

The primitive island is defined on the west by the main channel of the Altamaha River and on the east by Lewis Creek and the broad, dense Buffalo Swamp. Loggers attempted to get to the trees, but thankfully logging cables were not long enough to reach them and today never will because the tract was purchased from the Georgia-Pacific Corporation by the State of Georgia in 1973 to be protected as part of the Altamaha State Wildlife Management Area.

The 5,633-acre natural area is home to deer, otters, raccoons, feral pigs, and gray squirrels. Swallow-tailed kites nest here, and also observed on the island are Mississippi kites, parula warblers, yellow-crowned night herons, green herons, Louisiana herons, pileated woodpeckers, egrets, ibis, and wrens. Snail-loving limkins have occasionally been seen near the island. Common reptiles are alligators, Florida cooters, yellow-bellied turtles, as well as rainbow, mud, cottonmouth, yellow rat, and red-bellied water snakes. Near the water's edge, streamside flowers such as the pink-flowered Physostegia are common, along with wild potato vine, spider lilies, and swamp mallow.

An interesting characteristic of Lewis Island is that it is a tidewater swamp, which means it has adapted to daily fluctuations in water levels and current flow, unlike river swamps that are affected mainly by seasonal fluctuations in water levels.

The island must be approached by boat. The floor of Lewis Island may be under water from January to June, when the river leaves its banks, submerging a half-mile trail leading to the big trees. When the river is down the rest of the year, the trail reappears, but be sure to take shoes that can get wet and muddy. The trailhead is located approximately 0.25 mile southeast of the intersection of Studhorse Creek and Pico Creek. The Department of Natural Resources attempts to keep the trail marked, but floods may remove or hide the blazes, so its best to ask for directions and river conditions at the area's headquarters on Butler Island.

• Directions: Access is difficult to Lewis Island, located 5 miles upstream from Darien. A boat is mandatory and an experienced guide is recommended for attempting the trip. Contact Two-Way Fish Camp for wildlife charters, phone (912) 265-0410; or outfitters that offer guided wildlife tours, such as Southeast Adventure Outfitters, phone (912) 638-6732, or Altamaha Wilderness Outfitter, phone (912) 437-6010. For directions and local conditions, contact the area manager's office on Butler Island, phone (912) 262-3173.
• For more information: Altamaha River Waterfowl Area, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31523. Phone (912) 262-3173.

][/QUOTE]

 

[crackerdave]

http://www.savannahnow.com/article/20100830/NEWS/308309881

[QUOTE
Lewis Island Natural Area

[Fig. 16(1)] Without sandy beaches and high-rise condominiums, this is not what people generally imagine when you say "island." But Lewis Island, located five miles up the Altamaha River, is accessible only by boat and is a natural treasure that has fascinated scientists and naturalists alike. The 8-mile-long island contains a remnant of the great hardwood forests that bordered Georgia's Coastal Plain rivers, including the largest known grove of virgin tidewater cypress and tupelo gum trees in Georgia. One 300-acre stand of baldcypress has trees 6 to 7 feet in diameter, which are estimated to be 1,000 years old, with one tree believed to be over 1,300 years old.

The primitive island is defined on the west by the main channel of the Altamaha River and on the east by Lewis Creek and the broad, dense Buffalo Swamp. Loggers attempted to get to the trees, but thankfully logging cables were not long enough to reach them and today never will because the tract was purchased from the Georgia-Pacific Corporation by the State of Georgia in 1973 to be protected as part of the Altamaha State Wildlife Management Area.

The 5,633-acre natural area is home to deer, otters, raccoons, feral pigs, and gray squirrels. Swallow-tailed kites nest here, and also observed on the island are Mississippi kites, parula warblers, yellow-crowned night herons, green herons, Louisiana herons, pileated woodpeckers, egrets, ibis, and wrens. Snail-loving limkins have occasionally been seen near the island. Common reptiles are alligators, Florida cooters, yellow-bellied turtles, as well as rainbow, mud, cottonmouth, yellow rat, and red-bellied water snakes. Near the water's edge, streamside flowers such as the pink-flowered Physostegia are common, along with wild potato vine, spider lilies, and swamp mallow.

An interesting characteristic of Lewis Island is that it is a tidewater swamp, which means it has adapted to daily fluctuations in water levels and current flow, unlike river swamps that are affected mainly by seasonal fluctuations in water levels.

The island must be approached by boat. The floor of Lewis Island may be under water from January to June, when the river leaves its banks, submerging a half-mile trail leading to the big trees. When the river is down the rest of the year, the trail reappears, but be sure to take shoes that can get wet and muddy. The trailhead is located approximately 0.25 mile southeast of the intersection of Studhorse Creek and Pico Creek. The Department of Natural Resources attempts to keep the trail marked, but floods may remove or hide the blazes, so its best to ask for directions and river conditions at the area's headquarters on Butler Island.

• Directions: Access is difficult to Lewis Island, located 5 miles upstream from Darien. A boat is mandatory and an experienced guide is recommended for attempting the trip. Contact Two-Way Fish Camp for wildlife charters, phone (912) 265-0410; or outfitters that offer guided wildlife tours, such as Southeast Adventure Outfitters, phone (912) 638-6732, or Altamaha Wilderness Outfitter, phone (912) 437-6010. For directions and local conditions, contact the area manager's office on Butler Island, phone (912) 262-3173.
• For more information: Altamaha River Waterfowl Area, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Brunswick, GA 31523. Phone (912) 262-3173.

]

[/QUOTE]
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[livinoutdoors]

Wow! Lewis island sound awesome! You guys have been more than helpful with all these places. Got my work cut out for me! Thats alright , ive got good hiking boots!

 

[livinoutdoors]

Plus ...... this is way more fun than the great corn wars! Haha