A group of hikers make their way under a rock overhang while hiking the trail at the Hungry Beech Preserve in Roane County, W.Va. (Photo by Art Smith)

A recently constructed trail through the Hungry Beech Preserve in Roane County will make it easier for people to enjoy the cove of large American beech and white oaks that fill 37 acres of giant trees, some of which measure 13 feet in circumference. The preserve is on a hilltop in a remote area between Clendenin and Spencer.

When visitors first arrive at the preserve, they will hike down an old farm road before reaching a large open grassy area. The grass is left uncut through the summer to allow birds to nest and insects to pollinate. From the meadow, hikers will enter the trail that follows the contour of the land as it makes its way through the grove of trees and past huge rock formations, some of which have become one with the trees that cling to the rocks as they wrap their roots around them. The name of the preserve comes from the fact that many of the beech trees on the property appear to be eating the rocks as they grow around them.

On the forest floor, some 80 species of spring flowers are blooming before the large canopy of leaves fills in to shade the area. The area is also a frequent resting spot for migratory birds passing through. Deer, turkey, squirrel and chipmunks are also found there.

The West Virginia chapter of the Nature Conservancy recently hosted a tour of the preserve to showcase what its 121 acres have to offer. Looping through the preserve, the recently constructed 2.6-mile trail was funded by an $83,400 grant from the American Water Charitable Foundation. The trail passes through the forest and past stones and bedrock formations following natural plateaus. The group first acquired the land in the 1970s.

A line of hikers passes a large outcropping of rocks along the trail at the Hungry Beech Preserve in Roane County, W.Va. (Photo by Art Smith)

“It is a shame that more people don’t know about this. It is an opportunity for people to experience an old growth forest and to showcase some of the special places that are abundant in West Virginia,” said Mike Powell, director of land management and stewardship for the Nature Conservancy. Powell led a group of around 15 hikers and naturalists on the tour of the trail. A variety of birds could be heard chirping high in the trees as the group passed through.

A recent addition to the Old-Growth Forest Network, the preserve is not only home to the giant trees, but also 80 acres of younger forest that serves as a buffer around the big trees, as well as a large meadow area that provides a nesting area for birds.

“I think the old growth is important and for us to have a protected forest is nice. Having a variety of plants from the top to the bottom is tremendous. It is awe inspiring – they did a great job building the trails,” said Nancy Roberts of Charleston, who was hiking the trail with her sister Nonie.

The Hungry Beech Preserve has a wide range of value “The preserve is great for species that rely on old growth forest,” said Erica Byrd, senior marketing and communications manager for the Nature Conservancy in West Virginia. “The preserve also captures a lot of carbon,” plus, “It is beautiful to be in.”

Hungry Beech Preserve is in Roane County, W.Va., along Paxton Ridge Road. Search for it at nature.org, or use the GPS coordinates for the preserve: 38°34’45.9″N 81°28’19.8″W.

Fungi that aid in the decomposition of dead wood cling to the bark of a fallen tree. (Photo by Art Smith)

The Nature Conservancy protects more than 120,000 acres in West Virginia.

A group of Mayapple plants thrive along a hillside. (Photo by Art Smith)

Moss covers a boulder along the trail. (Photo by Art Smith)

Mike Powell, director of land management and stewardship for the Nature Conservancy, leads a group of hikers down a path at the Hungry Beech Preserve in Roane County, W.Va. (Photo by Art Smith)

Hikers walk along an old farm road that leads to the center of the preserve. (Photo by Art Smith)

Large trees and giant rocks dwarf hikers along the trail at the Hungry Beech Preserve. (Photo by Art Smith)

Trees tower over rock formations at the Hungry Beech Preserve. (Photo by Art Smith)

Trees tower over rock formations at the Hungry Beech Preserve. (Photo by Art Smith)

The trunk of a tree squeezes between a large crack in a rock along the trail. (Photo by Art Smith)

The roots of an old tree spread out across rocks. (Photo by Art Smith)

Spring violets bloom along the edge of the trail. (Photo by Art Smith)

Leaves start to emerge on an oak tree at the Hungry Beech Preserve. (Photo by Art Smith)