West Virginia · National Park & Preserve trail

Burnwood Trail Stop 5: Characteristics of Old Trees

in West Virginia

Old-Growth Forest Hike Stop 5 - Characteristics of Old Trees This large chestnut oak is over 160 years old and provides an example of some of the unique physical characteristics trees develop in older age. By looking around the entire trunk, you will notice some parts of the tree’s bark are thick-plated and blocky while some areas of bark are flat. Many older trees will have a mix of balding and protruding bark patterns up and down the entire trunk.

Bark on old trees can also be strikingly different in appearance compared to younger trees of the same species. Old trees also have very little stem taper, with minimal change in diameter from the base of the tree to the top near the crown. Perhaps the best clue to determine if a tree is old lies within the branches and the crown.

Lower branches are absent, indicating the tree grew in a closed-canopy forest where lower branches wouldn’t be useful to capture sunlight. Older trees usually have only a few large diameter branches that are high up into the crown, resembling a stalk of celery that only has leaves at the top of the tall stem. The upper branches are twisted and gnarled from decades of withstanding harsh winds and continuously reaching through the canopy attempting to capture available sunlight.

States: West Virginia
Trail type: National Park & Preserve trail
Centroid nearest city: Greensboro, NC · 156 mi · ~4 hr drive
Centroid coords: 38.0768°, -81.0771°

About New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

National Park & Preserve

This trail is inside New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, a national park & preserve managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/burnwood-trail-stop-5-characteristics-of-old-trees.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Burnwood Trail Stop 5: Characteristics of Old Trees and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.