The Sierra Club Guide to the Ancient Forests of the Northeast

Before European settlers arrived in North America in the seventeenth century, 950 million acres of virgin forest blanketed the eastern United States. But as the colonists established their communities, they cleared vast tracts of forest for farms and cut trees for lumber, tanbark, charcoal, and paper. In just 200 years, the original forests were gone. Or so it seemed. In two of the nation's foremost experts on eastern old-growth forests reveal that an estimated 2 million acres of ancient forests still thrive throughout the eastern United States, with approximately 400,000 of those acres in the Northeast. This is the first guide to these northeastern treasures. The 134 sites featured in the book showcase the most magnificent and inspiring forests across nine states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Taking travelers into the heart of each state, authors Bruce Kershner and Robert T. Leverett offer practical details on where to go, how to get there, and what to see--including recommendations for little-known trails that lead to some of the Northeast's oldest, tallest, and biggest trees. This unique guide is guaranteed to inspire residents and visitors alike to protect the Northeast's primeval forests for generations to come.