Along the Bike Path: Red Pine Removal

Red Pine Removal: You will see a number of pine trees that have died as you cross the road, as well as some newly cleared areas. These trees were southern Red Pine and were planted here beginning in the 1930s and ending in the 1950s. As of the late 1990s a blight called the Red Pine Scale began to kill off the trees. This tiny insect only affected the non-indigenous red pines. The decision was made to remove these trees from the forest to reduce the threat of wildfires and to allow native trees like the pitch pine and bear oak to return to the Pine Barrens.

The bike path will bring you back to Parking Lot 2 after it crossed Upper College Pond Road.