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| General Info |
Ranging in elevation from 600-900 feet, the site is home to over 300 species of plants and 55 tree species in 3 distinct plant communities: pine-oak, chestnut oak, and mixed hardwood forest. It is thought that periodic ice storms (like the 1993 blizzard) and fires open the canopy for pine growth, preventing domination by a single plant community.
The forest is home to the largest population in Georgia of the endangered large-flowered skullcap, a perennial herb in the mint family. Also found in the Black?s Bluff preserve, the large-flowered skullcap was discovered by Alvin Wentworth Chapman, a physician and botanist who explored the mountains near Rome in the 1870s. The site is also home to a wealth of fauna, including frogs, salamanders, at least six species of snake, and dozens of bird species.
There is a walking trail for the visually impaired, known as the Big Pine Braille Trail. A second trail, the Flower Glen Trail, extends for about a quarter mile. Visitors are welcome. |
| Plants |
Marshall Forest Preserve is home to an unusual combination of both northern and southern tree species. There are three distinct plant communities: pine-oak, chestnut oak, and mixed hardwood forest, containing more than 55 different tree species.
It is surprising that this old-growth forest, having had time to reach a late stage of ecological succession, is not dominated by one plant community. Instead, portions of the site are dominated by an association of pines and hardwoods, which provides ideal conditions for research and study. It is thought that this combination may have been maintained by periodic ice storms (such as the 1993 blizzard) and occasional fires, which provide openings in the hardwood canopy through which the pines grow.
The preserve supports the largest population of the endangered large-flowered skullcap in Georgia. This perennial herb was discovered by Alvin Wentworth Chapman, a physician and botanist who explored the mountains near Rome in the 1870's. The Marshall Forest population has been studied in recent years by scientists and volunteers attempting to gain information on the plant's life history. |
| Animals |
| The preserve also provides habitat for a wealth of non-threatened species. Frogs, salamanders, and at least six species of snakes are found in the area, while dozens of bird species nest and forage in the forest. |
| Phone - Address & Driving Directions from Atlanta |
| Phone: 404-873-6946 - Address: Horseleg Creek Rd., Rome, GA 30165 - Directions from Atlanta: Allow 1.5 hours - Take I-75 North to S.R. 20 at Cartersville (Exit 290, about 40 miles.). Take S.R. 20 West to Rome, about 20-25 miles. Stay on S.R. 20 through Rome (watch for turns), past the Floyd County Regional Medical Center. At Horseleg Creek Road (stoplight), turn left. (There's a Schlotzky's Deli on the right.) Travel down Horseleg Creed Road about 2 miles to Marshall Forest Preserve parking lot (at large Preserve sign) on right. |
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