Hunter Bluff Preserve

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Kentucky

This preserve protects a small tract of old growth forest and a population of rare bugbane.

Sandstone bluffs at Hunter Bluff © Lisa Morris

About

Carolina bugbane © Thomas G. Barnes @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Barnes, T.G., and S.W. Francis. 2004. Wildflowers and ferns of Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky.

This preserve protects a small tract of old growth forest and a population of rare bugbane(Cimicifuga rubifolia). The top of the sandstone bluff supports a dry forest dominated by Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana).

Location

Located in Caldwell County, Hunter Bluff lies just south of US 62, about 4 miles southwest of Dawson Springs.

Size

34 acres

Conditions

Due to the sensitivity of the site, the preserve is open to the public only through Conservancy guided hikes.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

Hunter Bluff is important primarily for the 20 acres of old-growth forest on the north-facing slope of the bluff itself. The Conservancy accepted this tract as a donation from Kenneth Oldham in 1992.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The key objective for this site is preventing the damage to the area caused by exotic species and rappellers.

Plants at the Preserve

The cliff tops support an unusually dry forest for the region with much Virginia pine. The bottomland includes swampy areas as well as an unusual second-growth forest including plants such as:

ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
glade knotweed (Polygonum tenue)
rushfoil (Crotonopsis elliptica)

Animals at the Preserve

Forest wildlife species are abundant at Hunters Bluff. These include forest songbirds, deer, turkey, squirrels, raccoons, etc.

Things To Do

Plan Your Visit

Directions

Discussion

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