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Trillium blanketing the forest floor at our Shaw Mountain Natural Area, a great location to enjoy spring wildflowers. — Shaw Mountain Trillium blanketing the forest floor at our Shaw Mountain Natural Area, a great location to enjoy spring wildflowers. © Chuck Helfer

Places We Protect

Shaw Mountain Natural Area

Vermont

CONNECT

ph. 802-229-4425
Email: vermont@tnc.org
Follow

Autumn bursts with color just as spring provides a glorious show of wildflowers.

Overview
Visit

The limestone uplift of Shaw Mountain rises over 500 feet from the surrounding land, and is a dominant landscape feature in Benson and adjacent West Haven, Vermont. Shaw Mountain Natural Area supports 11 distinct plant communities, including a shrub swamp, vernal pools, an oak-hickory forest, and a calcareous outcrop community, in addition to 15 rare plant species.

Why the Conservancy Selected this Site

The Conservancy targeted the Shaw Mountain area for conservation due to its high biodiversity value, excellent condition, and large size.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

LOCATION

Benson, VT

Explore Our Work in this Region

EXPLORE

This area includes a shrub swamp, vernal pools, an oak-hickory forest and a calcareous outcrop community.

View Directions | Open in Maps

HIGHLIGHTS

Come see the spectacular plants and animals located at Shaw Mounting Natural Area.

Size

600 acres

Resources

Vermont Preserve Visitation Guidelines (.pdf)

A wonderful nature trail begins at the preserve parking area. The trail is 2.4 miles round trip. Please read our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

What to See: Plants

Several of the natural communities found at Shaw Mountain are considered outstanding examples of their type. These include a shrub swamp, vernal pools, a mesic maple-ash-hickory-oak forest, and a calcareous outcrop community. Notable plants include handsome sedge, large-bracted tick-trefoil, yellow oak, snowy aster, squaw root, sessile-leaved boneset, three-lobed violet, and four-leaved milkweed.

What to See: Animals

Spotted salamanders breed in the vernal pools on Shaw Mountain’s limy saddles. Wild turkeys nest and feed throughout the oak-hickory forests and bobcats den among the rocky slopes and ledges.

Resources

Vermont Preserve Visitation Guidelines (.pdf)