The hardwood component of this forest is beech and birch with scattered oak and maple. These hardwoods are in much better health and provide for a brilliant fall show. The contrast of green hemlock and fern with the reds and yellows of the hardwoods make for excellent autumn leaf viewing.
Beartown State Park, A Forest and Geologic Wonder
By Steve Nix, About.com Guide
Beartown Hemlock and Droop Geology
Beartown Hemlock
Photo by Steve Nix, Licensed to About.com
Beartown State Park has one of West Virginia's last stands of old growth hemlock. You will see old, decayed and dying hemlocks similar to the hemlocks of the Joyce Kilmer Forest in North Carolina. The forest is in declining health which is typical for ancient forests in the United States.
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