Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest, National Natural Landmark forest in Orange County, Indiana, United States.
Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest is a protected woodland in Orange County featuring old-growth hardwoods including ash, oak, tuliptree, and walnut. The forest spans roughly 90 acres and demonstrates the character of the region's original forest, with mature trees rising over 60 feet before branching begins.
The Cox family managed this land from 1816 until 1940 and chose never to cut the timber. Their decision to protect the forest over more than a century allowed it to survive as an undisturbed Central Hardwood forest.
This place held significance for indigenous peoples who established settlements in its wetland areas centuries ago. Walking through the mature trees today offers a connection to that ancient human presence in the landscape.
The forest is accessible via a hiking trail of roughly 1.3 miles that winds through different woodland zones. This path gives visitors a good sense of the varied tree species and soil conditions throughout the site.
Some of the oldest trees here have diameters exceeding one meter and date back to before European settlement. These massive specimens are remnants of a forest world that once covered the entire region.
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