Marshall Phillips Forest

Marshall Phillips Forest offers a variety of terrain and habitats suitable for residential development, with hiking, nature viewing, and hunting all found within its 256 acres. Most of the forest showcases different tree species, and the value is detailed in the timber section below. There are sections of wetlands in the forest associated with small brooks that flow through the property. These wetland areas have different characteristics, from marsh grass areas to ponds and streams, and forested areas with cedar trees. This rich ecosystem would host a wide variety of bird and animal life for viewing. There would be a myriad of songbirds, waterfowl, and marsh-dwelling birds, with the occasional Bald Eagle found in this area. The forest ecosystem would attract bears, foxes, and coyotes, along with numerous deer, due to the natural food sources of hemlock, oak, small saplings, and edible ground cover. You might even spot an odd apple tree in the forest, as there is evidence of an old farmstead with stone walls and trails found within the forest’s interior. On the property’s western edge at the end of the driveway is an elevated peninsula that has been cleared and maintained, leaving a large open grass-covered clearing perfect for a home or camp. The remaining open area provides a gentle slope towards the wetland with scenic views and towards the property’s hardwood slopes to the south. There are good views of local mountains from the potential house site, and additional tree clearing to the east would open views of the wetland area and local mountains. Accessing the property from the driveway at the eastern end of the road frontage takes you to a wide, flat knoll populated by a middle-aged mixed wood forest. This private site offers a second good option for a camp or year-round home development, as power runs along Marshall Phillips Road. This access point is above the wetland area and provides good walking to the largest part of the forested landscape. As you move along old woods trails, the forest transitions to more mature stands on gentle terrain. On the property’s eastern edge, one can access a highly scenic area known as “The Ledges.” Near these ledges is a fringe of wetland, with a towering stand of hemlocks that slopes steeply upward toward rocky outcrops. Walking under the canopy of towering trees with exposed rock faces looming above creates a surrealistic atmosphere that could be found in a primeval forest. Above The Ledges is a mature mixed wood stand, and west of here, at the land’s southern slopes, there is an attractive hardwood stand of oak, maple, and hickory. The highest elevation on this parcel is roughly 840' above sea level along the southern boundary, and the lowest elevation is found in the wetland area at around 480'.