Snyder Brook Scenic Area -

White Mountain National Forest

One of the finest examples of an ancient forest in New Hampshire is along Snyder Brook in Randolph, NH. Here in the White Mountain National Forest are gorgeous waterfalls and towering trees. This 36-acre tract is the only remaining original old-growth forest on the Northern Presidential Range.

As you walk toward Snyder Brook the change from second-growth hardwood forest to old growth hemlock and spruce is abrupt and dramatic. These ancient trees towering up to 90 feet in height, spanning up to 10 feet in circumference and with a measured age of 370 years give us a picture of what much of this area would have looked like before the extensive cutting began.

The big trees include some state and county champion hemlock, white pine, and red spruce. Large specimens of sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech are also present. This forest, a Hemlock-Spruce-Northern Hardwood type, was never logged and is an easy hike from the Appalachia Trailhead on US Route 2 in Randolph.

 

You can learn more about Snyder-Brook Scenic Area by watching “White Mountain National Forest: An Ecosystem in Recovery”, a docuseries created by Chris Moore.