What is the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest?

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a publicly owned forest located in Graham County, North Carolina. It is named after poet Joyce Kilmer, who authored the poem "Trees."

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial is one of the largest old growth forests in the eastern United States, and it covers approximately 3,800 acres. It features over 100 tree species, including yellow-poplar, oak, basswood, beech and sycamore trees, some of which are over 400 years old. The forest is only accessible by foot and features a 2-mile hiking trail with an upper loop that passes through the Joyce Kilmer Memorial plaque. A lower loop passes through some of the forest's largest trees in an area called Popular Cove.