With so much history in New Hampshire, it’s easy to take a moment and think about all that came before us. While museums and storytellers are wonderful, we’ve found that some of the most interesting history resides within the forest. The land itself is one of the best storytellers in the world and, by listening and watching, we can learn so much about what life was like before we were here. It might be hard to believe, but some of the state’s oldest and most interesting history can be seen in one particular forest where old growth trees stand tall and proud.

You'll find what's known as "Old Growth Forests" throughout the United States. These are untouched wooded areas that have been left to grow for hundreds of year.
nicholas_t / Flickr
Most of these forests have been kept intact due to their hard-to-reach locations.
nicholas_t / Flickr
While there are only a handful of true old growth forests left in the state, we do have one that's a great example of truly old trees. Sheldrick Forest is located in Wilton.
Morgan Bailey / Google
The forest features over 227-acres of wooded, forest with trees dating back more than 200 years.
Dan McShane via Sheldrick Forest Preserve / Facebook

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By the mid-1800s much of the forested land in New Hampshire was cleared for timber groves or pastures. But, exploring Sheldrick Forest will give visitors a sense of what things were like back before the Europeans settled here.
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire / Facebook
Sheldrick Forest Preserve has rows and rows of white pines that are 50-feet tall, as well huge hemlocks, and stately oaks.
Connie Jo Lawson / Google
And the diameter of some of the trees has reached a whopping 30 inches. This is evidence of what can happen when trees area allowed able to grow without bother by humans and development.
wefi_official / Flickr
Hiking there also means exploring a truly unique forested area. It’s home to a truly wild preserve, complete with a ravine and rambling, secret streams.
andyarthur / Flickr

Getting to Sheldrick Forest Preserve isn’t hard. Start from the town of Milford and head west on Route 101. You’ll pass the center of Wilton. Turn left on Temple Road just after Gary’s Harvest Restaurant and continue heading down Temple Road for just over a quarter of a mile before bearing left to cross a bridge. Next turn left onto Town Farm Road. Drive for another 3/4 of a mile and you’ll reach the preserve entrance. Parking is in a small field on the left.

You can learn more about the preserve through their informational brochure.

And, for more New Hampshire history check out this article for information on 9 historical landmarks that will teach you tons about the Granite State.

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