Collecting Plants

Please help us protect park ecosystems by not collecting fiddlehead ferns, ramps, or other plant materials within park boundaries.

 

David Fuller/University of Maine

Plants in the park are protected by law and may not be disturbed or collected (36 CFR §2.1(c)). This includes parts of plants such as flowers, seeds, leaves, branches, and roots.

The following areas are closed to entry during the months of April and May each year to prevent damage from fiddlehead poaching:

• The floodplain forest between the Connecticut River and State Route 12A, north of the Blow-Me-Down Brook.

• Forested areas on either side of Saint Gaudens Road.

National Park Service staff, volunteers, and contractors have worked to restore the park’s natural resources for future generations. Their efforts have led to increased biodiversity and improved forest health throughout the park. In addition to federal protections, the type of floodplain forest within the park is rated S2 by the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau, indicating imperiled status or rarity within the state. Thank you for helping to protect this sensitive area and natural resources throughout the park.

 

Ramps, also known as wild leeks

NPS Photo / Phyllida Whittaker