List of National Natural Landmarks in Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
The National Park Service
has designated eleven National Natural Landmark
s in Massachusetts
. Most of these are bogs, swamps, wetlands and old growth forest.
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
has designated eleven National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
s in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Most of these are bogs, swamps, wetlands and old growth forest.
| Name | Image | Date | Location | County | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acushnet Cedar Swamp Acushnet Cedar Swamp Acushnet Cedar Swamp was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in June 1972.One of the State's largest, wildest and most impenetrable swamps, and an outstanding example of the diversity of conditions and species in the glaciated section of the oak-chestnut forest.-See... |
June 1972 | New Bedford New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts... |
Bristol Bristol County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile... |
One of the state's largest, wildest and most impenetrable swamps, and an outstanding example of the diversity of conditions and species in the glaciated section of the oak-chestnut forest. | |
| Bartholomew's Cobble Bartholomew's Cobble Bartholomew's Cobble is a National Natural Landmark, open space preserve, agricultural preserve, and bio-reserve located in southwest Massachusetts in the village of Ashley Falls abutting Canaan, Connecticut... |
.jpg) |
October 1971 | Ashley Falls Sheffield, Massachusetts Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Vermont.Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,257 at the 2010 census. Sheffield is home to... |
Berkshire Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield... |
Contains over 800 plant species, including North America's greatest diversity of fern Fern A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants... s. |
| April 1980 | Mohawk Trail State Forest Mohawk Trail State Forest Mohawk Trail State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest located in Charlemont. The forest is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.-Description:... |
Berkshire Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield... , Franklin Franklin County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile... |
Probably the only virgin hemlock-northern hardwood forest in New England, with the hemlocks and sugar maples exceeding 400 years in age. | ||
| Fannie Stebbins Refuge | June 1972 | Longmeadow Longmeadow, Massachusetts As of the census of 2000, there were 15,633 people, 5,734 households, and 4,432 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% White, 0.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.90%... |
Hampden Hampden County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 per square mile... |
The area contains the only sizeable example of Connecticut River flood plain under preservation, exhibiting many successional stages including upland and flood plain forest, swamp, marsh, ponds, and meadows. | |
| Gay Head Cliffs | October 1975 | Aquinnah Aquinnah, Massachusetts Aquinnah is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Prior to 1998 the town was officially known as Gay Head, which it is still called by most Islanders from the neighboring towns, but this name does not reflect as well the year-round population of a large American Indian... |
Dukes Dukes County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,987 people, 6,421 households, and 3,788 families residing in the county. The population density was 144 people per square mile . There were 14,836 housing units at an average density of 143 per square mile... |
An unusual cross section of Raritan and Magothy sediments of Cretaceous Cretaceous The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the... age and fossil Fossil Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past... -bearing sands of Miocene Miocene The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene... and either Pliocene Pliocene The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch... or Pleistocene Pleistocene The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and .... ages that rise as much as 150 feet (45.7 m) above sea level, resting on the continental shelf Continental shelf The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,... and detached from the mainland. The center of Wampanoag native culture. |
|
| Hawley Bog | May 1974 | Hawley Hawley, Massachusetts Hawley is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 337 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :... |
Franklin Franklin County, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile... |
Unspoiled cold northern boreal sphagnum-heath bog occupying an old shallow glacial lake basin which demonstrates bog succession from the central open water pond to the surrounding spruce-fir forest. | |
| November 1987 | Adams Adams, Massachusetts Adams is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,485 at the 2010 census.-History:... |
Berkshire Berkshire County, Massachusetts Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield... |
This site contains three separate stands of undisturbed old growth red spruce on the northwest slopes of Mt. Greylock, the highest mountain in Massachusetts. These stands have been undisturbed for at least 150-180 years, and may be virgin. No other old growth red spruce stands are known in southern New England, while only a few comparable or better sites occur in northern New England. | ||
| Muskeget Island Muskeget Muskeget Island is a low sandy island to the west of Tuckernuck Island and Nantucket, in the town of Nantucket, Massachusetts.-Geography:Muskeget Island is part of the terminal moraine marking the maximum extent of the last glacial ice sheet to reach the northeastern coast. It has an area of . The... |
April 1980 | west of Tuckernuck Tuckernuck Island Tuckernuck is an island in the town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, west of Nantucket Island and east of Muskeget. Its name allegedly means "a loaf of bread". The island has an area of about 900 acres .... and Nantucket Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket is an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the United States. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the coterminous Nantucket County, which are consolidated. Part of the town is designated the Nantucket... Islands |
Nantucket | The only known locality where the Muskeget beach vole Beach Vole The Beach Vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in the United States, and its natural habitat is temperate grassland.... is found, and southernmost station where the gray seal breeds. The area supports an enormous nesting population of herring gulls and black-backed gulls. |
|
| North and South Rivers | May 1977 | Norwell Norwell, Massachusetts Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became... |
Plymouth Plymouth County, Massachusetts Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton... |
Classic examples of drowned rivermouth estuaries, supporting at least 45 species of fish and many species of birds. The site contains salt marsh, brackish marsh, and freshwater marsh areas. | |
| Poutwater Pond | June 1972 | Holden Holden, Massachusetts Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts.The population was 17,346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:... |
Worcester Worcester County, Massachusetts -Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density... |
An undisturbed sphagnum-heath bog in southern New England, illustrating ecological succession from open water in a glacial depression to upland forest. | |
| Reedy Meadow was Lynnfield Marsh | June 1972 | Between Wakefield Wakefield, Massachusetts -History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:... and South Lynnfield Lynnfield, Massachusetts Lynnfield is a wealthy town in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 11,542.- History :... |
Essex Essex, Massachusetts Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, north of Boston. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Essex.- History :... |
The largest freshwater cattail marsh in Massachusetts. The area preserves the habitat requirements of many bird species and serves as a breeding ground for the king rail and least bittern, rare species in the region. | |