When William Penn settled Pennsylvania in 1681, over 90% of the state was covered in forests. Tall trees and covered the land and it was considered an untamed wilderness. Fast forward to 2010 and human impact has certainly changed those numbers. Over the last 319 odd years, Pennsylvania’s forests have been through quite a bit. In the late 1800’s, Pennsylvania was the nation’s greatest source of lumber. After World War 1, Pennsylvania’s forests reached its historical minimum of about 13 million acres. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, about 60% of the state is forested (about 17 million acres).
Of those 60% only a few stands have never been cut. This is called virgin timber and some of these trees are really old and really big.
These big trees are recorded and specially protected under the DCNR’s Big Trees Program. There are currently over 60 big trees in this program, several of which are close to the Pittsburgh area. There are record big trees in Cook Forest, Moraine, Raccoon Creek, Ohiopyle and Keystone State Parks.
However, if you would like to visit an actual old growth forest, Cook Forest is the place to go. There are four old growth areas within the park to visit: Forest Cathedral Natural Area, Seneca Natural Area, Swamp Area, and Cook Trail Area. Each is unique in the species and age of the trees they contain. It is thought that this old growth dates back to a forest fire of 1644. Some trees even survived that fire and are aged at almost 450 years old! The sight of these trees is really remarkable and can definitely make you feel young.
Some of the individual trees are accessible by trail and there are hiking trails that can take visitors through parts of Cook Forest’s old growth areas. For information on visiting these areas, check out the DCNR website or call the specific park office you’d like to visit.
If you would like more information on the Big Trees Program or would like to report a big tree near you, contact your local park manager.
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