New York pine barrens are unique woodland communities made up of pitch pine, scrub oak, and grassy areas. Blueberries and ferns blanket the ground. Dozens of threatened or endangered creatures prefer this vegetation, making this rare community their home.
Moths, such as the phyllira tiger moth, and butterflies, such as the Karner blue, live here and feed on plants like wild lupine, a native flower that grows in the sandy soil of pine barrens. Declining bird species such as the eastern whip-poor-will and the common nighthawk also breed and nest in these habitats.
Pine barrens were formed ten thousand years ago, when the retreating glacier left behind sorted layers of sand, gravel, and acidic soil. This porous, stratified drift filters water as it flows into the aquifer below, which provides clean water for humans and wildlife alike.
European settlers construed these forests as “barren” and applied the misnomer because they could not cultivate crops in the sandy soil. After giving up on the idea of farming, they discovered that the trees were useful for shipbuilding and the thick pitch of the pines could be processed into products such as resin and turpentine, which could be used to seal boats and prevent rot.
While pine barrens once covered millions of acres from Maine south to New Jersey, much of them have been lost to development.
Pine barrens need fire to survive and thrive. Pitch pines’ tough, rigid bark protects the tree, but its cones need the fire’s heat to melt the pitch and release the tree’s seeds. Scrub oaks survive in this environment because of their root system, burning above ground but developing robust underground roots that enable them to regenerate.
Fire also limits growth of the understory, ensuring that these unique trees survive. When fire is suppressed for many seasons, the species composition of these woods can change significantly, resulting in non-fire adapted species becoming more dominant.
When I recently visited a pine barrens, I realized that the quiet was more than just the absence of people. Where were the birds that made the barrens their home? Some like the eastern towhee and the eastern whip-poor-will had begun their migration south, but others, because of the season, were just less vocal as they no longer needed to attract mates.
I discovered the preserve because I was looking for a different walk in the woods. What I found was something extraordinary, an ecosystem important to many unique plant and animal species and worthy of our attention and care.
Some New York Pine Barrens
Albany Pine Bush Preserve (Capital District / Albany & Guilderland, NY): Over 3,400 acres; famous for hosting the endangered Karner blue butterfly and offering over 20 miles of public trails.
Rome Sand Plains (Oneida County / Rome, NY) Some 15 to 16,000 acres (with over 4,000 acres explicitly designated as a protected conservation preserve). A critical habitat for the rare Frosted Elfin butterfly and offers over 6 miles of marked walking trails.
Altona Flat Rock / Flat Rock State Forest (Clinton County / Altona, NY): A 1,931-acre globally rare sandstone pavement barren where a prehistoric glacial flood stripped away topsoil down to the bare Potsdam sandstone bedrock. It uniquely hosts jack pine barrens rather than the standard pitch pine. It features two miles of multi-use trails.
Clintonville Pine Barrens Preserve (Clintonville, Clinton County, NY): 120 acres managed by The Nature Conservancy on a 12,000-year-old glacial sand delta.
Long Island Central Pine Barrens (Suffolk County, Long Island, NY): A 53,000-acre core area which features diverse microclimates, dwarf pine plains, and extensive public recreation sites like Rocky Point and Quogue Wildlife Refuge.
Henrys Hollow Pine Barrens State Forest (Town of Southampton, Suffolk County, NY) Just 272 acres tucked away in the Long Island Central Pine Barrens matrix, this state forest offers a quieter, shorter alternative to neighboring Sarnoff. It provides a winding loop trail designed for hiking and watchable wildlife viewing. The ecology is actively managed by state rangers to study and combat southern pine beetle infestations. (Requires a free Managed Land Access Permit).
Westhampton Dwarf Pine Plains Preserve (Suffolk County, Long Island, NY) 788 acres includes a globally rare ecosystem of pygmy pitch pine and scrub oak barrens. The area is undeveloped, and exploring it requires a free Managed Land Access Permit.
David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens State Forest (Town of Southampton, Suffolk County, NY): Over 2,700 acres, formerly an RCA communications site overseen by radio pioneer David Sarnoff, this dense upland preserve features classic pitch pine-mixed oak woodlands. It is a designated Bird Conservation Area frequented by whip-poor-wills and eastern towhees. It features a popular 9-mile loop trail and a stretch of the historic Paumanok Path. (A free Managed Land Access Permit is required).
Read About New York’s Pine Barrens
René Paquette is the writer of the Substack Lake Journal, which celebrates New England’s lakes. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
Illustration: The Albany Pine Bush with lupine.
Leave a Reply