Most other old growth stands are in back country where accessibility is difficult for the general public. A leisurely hour walk through this old growth stand of trees will take you back to what much of the northwoods forests were like about one hundred years ago. It will give you a better understanding of the value of the true big tree characteristics in a forest environment.
Natural reproduction is easily visible.
Preservation of this unique area in its natural state is the goal of the Hiawatha National Forest. Additional land was purchased in 1901. In 1938 residents of the area, as well as the Escanaba Kiwanis and the Escanaba Daily Press, actively campaigned to have the site preserved in its natural state and to save it from the timberman's axe. The USDA Forest Service began managing the property in 1940. In nature's time-honored fashion, old trees have fallen, letting in sunlight and allowing for new growth of seedlings and saplings.