Wildlife, Plants and Birds
The Moosalamoo National Recreation Area offers some of the most beautiful trails and areas for nature and birding enthusiasts in the Green Mountain National Forest. The trails and interpretive areas lead hikers through varied habitats offering an opportunity to view nature and its inhabitants up close.
Watch for such wildlife as moose, beaver, white tail deer, porcupine, brown bat, black bear, opossum, fisher, skunk and raccoon. Follow the moose viewing loop in the spring for the best chance of seeing moose. Download a moose viewing map and directions.
Wild flowers: Look for arbutus, hepatica blood root, and marsh marigold, in the spring. Lady Slipper Orchids, violets, trillium and columbine in the early summer. Baneberry, chicory, Queen Anne's Lace, yarrow, wild ginger, wintergreen and Red Clover (state flower) in summer and asters in the fall.
The Forest: The region is heavily forested with such trees as apple, ash, basswood, beech, birch, butternut, black cherry, hemlock, hickory, oak (red & white), spruce, balsam fir, and sugar maple (state tree). Shrubs include dogwood, shad, sumac, willow, witch-hazel, winterberry, and striped maple.
Ferns: The region is rich with a variety of ferns including: Bracken, Christmas, cinnamon, royal, fragile, grape, hayscented, lady, marsh, interrupted, long beech, maidenhair, ostrich, polypody, rattlesnake, sensitive, spleenwort, wood, oak and cliff brake.
Birding: Birders can use our free Birding Guide to find birds in the region, including Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Northern Goshawk, Common Loon, Warblers (Canada, Blackburnian, Black-throated Green & Blue, Mourning and Blackpoll), Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireo, Flycatchers (Yellow-bellied, Olive-sided, & Alder), Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Wild Turkey, Thrush (Swainson's, Bicknell's, & Hermit) (state bird). The Moosalamoo Birding Guide is available at no cost, just email us.
The 2011 Bird-a-thon species list, is available here.
Moosalamoo Bluebird Trail: Bluebirds are cavity-nesting birds, building nests in holes in trees or with human help in bird houses. The bluebird "trail" at Moosalamoo is a group of forty plus houses, usually located in pairs, one hundred feet apart, in open fields and pastures within the region. They are located near Robert Frost Wayside Area, Moosalamoo Campground, Voter Brook overlook, Blueberry Hill Inn, Judith's Garden, Hogback, Blueberry Management Area, and at Branbury State Park. These boxes are monitored and maintained by the Association. You may spot a bluebird at any of these locations, sitting on a fence, power line, or dead tree. The boxes also attract chickadees, wrens, and swallows. For more information on Bluebirds check out http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/
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Some young explorers investigate bugs in the Moosalamoo, lead by Moosalamoo staff and volunteers.