If you’re looking for information about visiting the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area in Perry County, you’re in the right place!
Tucked away in Tuscarora State Forest near New Bloomfield, this 10-acre site protects one of the oldest living organisms in Pennsylvania.
Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967, it offers a quiet and fascinating glimpse into a truly ancient landscape.
Directions to the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area
The Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area is located along Huckleberry Road, one mile south of New Bloomfield.
If navigating by GPS, use coordinates 40.404046, -77.174645 to find the pull-off parking along the road, adjacent to the natural area.
What You’ll See at the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area
Arriving at the roadside entrance to the the Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area, a short set of wooden steps leads you up to the trailhead and into the forest.
Trailhead signs and markers guide you along a simple network of paths that wind through the natural area.
At first glance, the surroundings appear to be a typical wooded hillside, with leaf-covered trails and tall pines overhead.
But as you walk farther in, you begin to notice low-growing plants carpeting the forest floor in every direction.
These glossy, evergreen shrubs are box huckleberry, rarely rising more than a foot tall yet spreading across the ridge in a continuous patch.
What makes this place extraordinary is that every visible stem belongs to a single plant estimated to be more than 1,300 years old.
The plant spreads through underground rhizomes, creating a vast interconnected network that has slowly expanded over centuries.
That incredibly slow growth rate of just six inches per year is precisely what allowed botanists to calculate that this sprawling colony has been quietly expanding for roughly 1,300 years.
The soft forest floor, often covered in pine needles, makes for an easy and peaceful walk.
Because the plant keeps its leaves year-round, the area offers a consistent green backdrop in every season.
Final Thoughts
While it may not tower like a giant tree, the age and scale of this single plant make it one of Pennsylvania’s most remarkable natural wonders.
A visit here is less about dramatic scenery and more about appreciating the quiet persistence of life that has endured for over a millennium.
Nearby Attractions
8 Must-See Attractions in Perry County showcases more remarkable sights and experiences near Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch.
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