Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area

Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
A big tree at Boyd Big Tree
Named for: the donor, Alex Boyd
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Dauphin
Townships	Lower Paxton, Middle Paxton
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	40°21′18″N 76°51′29″W / 40.35500°N 76.85806°W / 40.35500; -76.85806Coordinates: 40°21′18″N 76°51′29″W / 40.35500°N 76.85806°W / 40.35500; -76.85806
- elevation	866 ft (264 m) ^[1]
Area	949.49 acres (384 ha) ^[1]
Founded	1999
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area in Pennsylvania
Website : Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area

Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area is a 949.49-acre (384.24 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Lower Paxton and Middle Paxton Townships, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The land for the conservation area was donated to the state by real estate developer Alex Boyd in 1999. Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area is a sanctuary for mature trees and an environment education study area. The park is on Blue Mountain just off Pennsylvania Route 443.

Conservation Area

A conservation area is different from a state park. Conservation areas have much less development on the lands than a state park. They are large tracts of land with few improvements, a lack of through roads and the recreational facilities are minimal. There is an effort to manage the resources with minimal development of the park. Other conservation areas in Pennsylvania are the nearby Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area and Varden Conservation Area in Wayne County.^[2]

Wildlife

The large mature trees and thick woods of Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area make it and ideal habitat for a large variety of woodland creatures. The park is home to white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkeys, ruffed grouse and eastern gray squirrels. Bluebirds and warblers can also be observed at Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area. There is an observation area on Blue Mountain where bird watchers can see the annual migration of hawks.^[2]

Recreation

Trails

All 10.6 miles (17.1 km) of trails at Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area are open to hiking and cross-country skiing.^[3]

Coach Trail is 0.9 miles (1.4 km) in length. It is marked with yellow blazes and is a designated "easy" trail. Coach Trail runs along the base of Blue Mountain to the western edge of the park.^[2]
Creek Trail is 0.9 miles (1.4 km) in length. It is marked with blue blazes and is a designated "moderate" trail. Creek Trail follows the western edge of the park.^[2]
East Loop Trail is 1.9 miles (3.1 km) in length. It is marked with lime green blazes and is a designated "moderate" trail. East Loop Trail is on the eastern end of the park.^[2]
Janie Trail is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length. It is marked with red blazes and is a designated "difficult" trail. Janie Trail is the longest trail in the park and follows the ridgeline and descends the mountain on a steep slope.^[2]
Upper Spring Trail is 2 miles (3.2 km) in length. It is marked with beige blazes and is a designated "moderate" trail. Upper Spring Trail passes by some of the largest and oldest oak, hickory, and beech trees in the park.^[2]
Lower Spring Trail is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length. It is marked with lavender blazes and is a designated "easy" trail. Lower Spring Trail passes through the center of the conservation area.^[2]
Pond Loop Trail is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) in length. It is marked with pink blazes and is a designated "easy" trail. Pond Loop Trail circles a spring fed pond that is home to many types of amphibians.^[2]

Hunting

Hunting is permitted on about 800 acres (320 ha) of Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The common game species are ruffed grouse, eastern gray squirrel, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, eastern cottontail rabbits and American black bear. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited.^[2]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area:^[4]^[5]^[6]

Gifford Pinchot State Park (York County)
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area (Dauphin County)
Little Buffalo State Park (Perry County)
Memorial Lake State Park (Lebanon County)
Swatara State Park (Lebanon and Schuylkill counties)

References

1 2 3 "Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
↑ "Path to better health begins with walk at Big Boyd Tree". The Patriot News at www.pennlive.com. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
↑ 2007 General Highway Map Dauphin County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-27. Note: shows Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area
↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-20.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area.

Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area official map PDF (483 KB)

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & National Historic Sites	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP

National Memorials	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and National Military Parks	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP

National Trails	Appalachian Trail

Other protected areas	Allegheny National Recreation Area Blue Marsh National Recreation Area Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Middle Delaware National Scenic River Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

National Forests	Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands

State

State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station S. B. Elliott Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Warriors Path Washington Crossing Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek

State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Lackawanna Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn (Wild areas)

Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek

Other

Other	Anders Run Natural Area Forrest H. Duttlinger Natural Area Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Johnson Run Natural Area Stone Valley Recreation Area Trexler Nature Preserve Wykoff Run Natural Area

Hiking trails	Appalachian Baker Black Forest Central Mountains Shared Use Darlington Eastern Continental Five Star Glacier Ridge Great Eastern Greene River Horse-Shoe Indian Creek Valley Loyalsock Mid State Standing Stone Mason-Dixon North Country Ohio River Old Loggers Path Pinchot Potomac Heritage Quehanna Rachel Carson Sheepskin Susquehannock Thunder Swamp Tuscarora Valley Forge Historical West Rim Wissahickon Youghiogheny River

Rail trails	Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River East Coast Greenway Five Star Ghost Town Great Allegheny Passage Great Shamokin Path Greene River Indian Creek Valley Lebanon Valley Lehigh Gorge Liberty Bell Lower Montour Ohio River Palmer Bikeway Panhandle Perkiomen Pine Creek Plainfield Township Schuylkill River Sheepskin Struble Susquehanna Warrior Switchback Three Rivers Heritage York Country Heritage Youghiogheny River

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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