Charcoal Exhibit Trail: Preparing the Hearth

Charcoal hearths required a 30 to 40-foot clearing.

NPS Photo/Conrad Provan

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The blackened soil of this forest clearing is an indication that it was once used as a hearth site, with the charcoal darkening the coloration of the soil. Because of the size of charcoal hearths, the clearing needed to be at least 30 to 40 feet in diameter. The area would need to be cleared and raked before the 4-foot logs were assembled into a hearth.