Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
LOCALITY |
OWNER |
ACRES |
ACCESS |
NEWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | DCR | 823 | Yes |
SITE DESCRIPTION:
The vegetation of Virginia today is much different from what was found in pre-settlement times. In the early 18th Century, the southern Piedmont province of Virginia contained a “Grande savane” where seasonal drought, grazing and periodic fires modulated community composition. The Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve in Halifax County was once a combination of savanna and open woodland with a rich herbaceous groundcover and canopy of scattered shortleaf pines, oaks and hickories.
The ecological significance of this 820-acre preserve was first noted by botanists who discovered several rare plants growing along a roadside and beneath a wide powerline clearing near Difficult Creek. Those open areas had become a refuge for sun-loving prairie grasses and forbs that declined during the fire suppression era of the 1900s and that were displaced by planted loblolly pine stands established after about 1960. Some of these prairie plants are very rare in Virginia and occur at this site due, in part, to the presence of basic, clay-rich soils. Difficult Creek Natural Area Preserve is managed by DCR using prescribed fire and loblolly pine removal with the objective of restoring the historic Piedmont savanna / woodland ecosystem with its open structure, high biodiversity and constituent rare species.
VISITATION:
This preserve is open for public visitation, although there are no designated parking areas
or hiking trails. Visitors may turn off State Secondary Route 719 and park at the entrance to
preserve management roads – in front of, but not blocking gates. Foot travel is welcome on
access roads and fire control lines within the preserve - where over two miles of hiking can
be experienced.
Part or all of the preserve may be periodically closed for resource protection or prescribed burning activities. Please call before visiting.
CONTACT:
