We write a lot about the history that resides in Maine, but there’s so much more to the state’s past than just artifacts and old buildings. In fact, some of the most interesting historical examples in the state can be seen in the form of Old Growth Forests. These forests, located throughout the United States, represent a wooded area that’s been untouched for centuries. Most of the time these areas are hard to access, ensuring that the trees are intact and allowed to grow unbothered. It’s a sight to behold and one of the best examples is right here in Maine.
Tucked away in Aroostook County, Maine is a community that gets to live among some of the oldest trees in the state.
Eagle Lake is home to the Eagle Lake Old-Growth Forest Area, which sits near the eastern shore opposite the southeast end of Pillsbury Island.
The 100-acre forest is the largest example of an old-growth forest in the state and its trees are truly spectacular.
Some of the pines are more than three feet in around and they've grown up to 130 feet into the sky!
In 1857, Thoreau canoed across the lake to reach Pillsbury Island, likely passing these exact trees which have been growing here since the late 1700s.
If you travel about six miles further down the lake, you'll reach what's called the "Ziegler Site." This is a smaller area of old-growth white pine covering about eight acres.
Beneath these pines are sugar maples, white birch, northern white cedar, and red spruce trees. The sugar maples are approximately 180-years-old!
This region of Maine is often under-appreciated by those who live further south. But, the journey is so worth what you'll find when here. The land and the language here might make you feel like you've entered another country, but the reality is that this all exists right here in Maine!
For more people-related history, check out this eerie haunted hotel in Kingfield. It's got a pretty checkered past!
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