Did You Know The Oldest Forest In the World Is Located In New York State?

I have a fact for you that just might blow your mind. According to the Department of Conservation, 61% of New York State is forested! That's nearly 19 million acres of New York covered with trees, woods and bushes. That is amazing! This next fact is even more stunning,

The world's oldest forest is in New York State! The Capital Region to be more exact!

Get our free mobile app

Current Biology reports that, a couple of years ago, a fossil was found in an abandoned quarry near Cairo, NY. The discovery was actually made in the Plattekill Formation and this fossil soil supports evidence that the oldest forest in the world is about 40 miles south of Albany!

Exactly how old are we talking here? The Travel places the estimated age of this forest at 385 million years old! We are talking about fossilized roots from prehistoric trees that are now visible. How big would this forest have been? Some say it would have covered New York and part of Pennsylvania.

Researchers once thought similar fossils discovered in Gilboa, NY was the oldest. This 2019 discovery in Cairo beats it by 3 million years!