PAUL STATE FOREST
Elevation: 1420 ft. Paul State Forest serves as an island of forest in a sea of farmland. The trees host a variety of common woodland species. Area regulars include red-bellied, downy, and hairy woodpeckers, and the occasional pileated and red-headed woodpeckers drop in sporadically. Forest diversity is at its highest during migration when, depending on the weather, numerous species of warblers, vireos, tanagers and thrushes can be spotted. Fast flying tawny emperors and the less energetic red-spotted purples and eastern tiger swallowtails frequent the broad trails between the towering yellow poplars of the state forest. The surrounding fields attract a variety of raptors that perch along the edges of the forest. Keep a look out for Cooper?s, sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks, as well as the occasional American kestrel.
Paul State Forest is a 1,900-acre forest located in central Virginia. The forest is named after Frederic W. Paul, who was a respected forester and the state's first State Forester.
Paul State Forest has a relatively recent history compared to other forests in Virginia. It was established in 1956 as part of the Virginia Forestry Division's initiative to acquire lands for public use and designated as a state forest in 1999. The land was purchased from various private landowners over the years.