Norway Spruce
Species Info
Norway Spruce (Picea abies) is a naturalized species of European Spruce, and is very common in the northeast US.
It is widely planted because it grows quickly and is more tolerant of hot/humid climates.
Seed production begins when the tree is in its fourth decade. Individual trees can live up to 300 years.
Uses of Norway Spruce
Typically, reforestation efforts were conducted to convert abandoned or unused tracts of old farmland (which were no longer used for agriculture) into productive forest tracts.
Norway Spruce was useful for its wood, but also as Christmas trees — it has the wonderful triangular shape we all love — and for watershed control.
Catskills Spruce Plantations
There are many Norway Spruce plantations in the Catskills.
The spruce plantations in the Catskills are some of the most stunning woods in the Park. Especially at sunrise or sunset, the light filters through them in a way that is just absolutely magical.
Below you’ll find a list of hikes with impressive Norway Spruce stands. There are many others — and I’ll get to them all — but these spruce forests are all worth a visit, standing as enchanted forest cathedrals among the hills.
Huckleberry Loop, Catskills: a Mile-by-Mile Guide
Is Huckleberry Loop Trail the most beautiful hike in The Catskills? This mile-by-mile guide walks you through it all.
North Dome, Mount Sherrill & Hagadone Hollow
The bushwhack over North Dome and Mount Sherrill is never easy. I found a way to make it even more difficult.
Windham High Peak in 3 Minutes (Walk-Thru Video)
This is one of my favorite hikes to do in The Catskills. This video walks you through the trails and junctions from trailhead to summit, giving you a clear sense of just how lovely this hike is.
Mill Brook Ridge via Kelly Hollow
This is the shortest route to Mill Brook Ridge’s summit over public land. It includes a full loop of Kelly Hollow, one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Catskills. A short-but-steep bushwhack connects the two locations.
Ashokan High Point (with Plane Wreck)
This loop hike features easy riparian trail, then a steep climb to views of Mohonk and the Shawangunk Ridge, as well as stunning blueberry meadows and a plane wreck just feet from the trail’s edge.
Hike Windham High Peak from Cross Road
This might be my new favorite way to hike WHP. The easy first mile and the hemlock-rich woods at the start of this route make it such a pleasant way to begin and end this beautiful day hike.
Hike Windham High Peak from Peck Road
One of the easiest Catskill high peaks to hike is also one of the most rewarding — with an enchanted spruce forest, great views of the Blackhead range, and three awesome summit lookouts.
Kelly Hollow Loop
Short, easy and thoroughly absorbing, Kelly Hollow Loop is one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the Catskills. It came highly-recommended and it absolutely delivered.
