It is one of the largest contiguous tracts of old growth forests in the Eastern US. While much of the forest around Western North Carolina was once logged and has since recovered or remains under active management, this area was spared the logger's axe. It remains a cherished and unique piece of Old Growth forest among the Southern Appalachian mountains. Some of them are estimated to be over 400 years old. While a verdant carpet of mosses, ferns, and wildflowers rise from the forest floor and logs of fallen giants past, the largest living trees rise to heights of well over 100 ft with circumferences of up to 20 ft. Exceptionally large trees of more than 100 species grow in the rich cove environment, protecting the headwaters of the rushing stream as it heads toward the blue-green depths of Santeetlah Lake. This area contains an impressive remnant of virgin forest, representative of the vast Eastern forests that used to stretch from the Atlantic to the Mississippi and beyond. Hiking past big trees in Joyce Kilmer A Big Curved Tree in Joyce Kilmer
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