Please join us on Saturday, September 19th at 10:00 am for an Old Growth Forest edition of our educational hemlock walk.
Join HRI and the Highlands Biological Station for an educational walk to see and learn about the Old Growth Forest in Highlands, NC. You’ll get to see one of the oldest eastern hemlocks in North America, among other magnificently large trees of all species.
This walk will take you through the Highlands Biological Station’s Coker Trail under healthy hemlocks in an HRI Hemlock Conservation Area. While we hike, your hike leaders will additionally cover the ecological importance of hemlocks, what is causing their decline, what is being done about it, and more. A representative from the Highlands Biological Station will also teach other tree species identification and give a history about the forest we will be in.
Spanning approximately 3.7 acres, this rare forest remnant is distinguished by towering eastern hemlocks—some of the largest in the Eastern U.S. Several trees exceed 3.3 feet in diameter, with the largest reaching 4.2 feet. The oldest hemlock in this stand is at least 467 years old–the oldest known in the Southern Appalachians–and many others exceed 250 years.
A relic of the “primeval forest” that once blanketed the Highlands Plateau, this area also features Northern Red Oak, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Birch, and Mountain Laurel, with Rosebay Rhododendron carpeting the understory.
Now part of the Old Growth Forest Network, the Coker Forest helps protect biodiversity and offers a glimpse into the region’s ecological past.
The walk is a very short 0.5 mile out-and-back. However, the trail we will be walking receives minimal maintenance and includes steep inclines. We will plan to arrive back at our vehicles by 1 pm.
In case of poor weather, this hike will be rescheduled to September 26th.
The registration is full, but please fill out this form to be added to our waitlist. You will be notified if a spot opens up for you. If you have any questions, please contact Olivia Hall at education@savehemlocksnc.org or 828-252-4783.