| White Pine Hollow State Forest | |
|---|---|
  White Pine Hollow State Forest Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa White Pine Hollow State Forest Location in United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Dubuque County, Iowa, United States |
| Nearest city | Luxemburg, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 42°37′47″N91°06′43″W / 42.62971°N 91.11207°W /42.62971; -91.11207 |
| Area | 944 acres (382 ha) |
| Elevation | 700 feet (210 m) |
| Administrator | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Official website |
| Designated | 1967 |
White Pine Hollow State Forest is a 944-acre (382 ha) forested area inDubuque County, Iowa, United States. Of the forest, a 712-acre (288 ha)[1] tract is aNational Natural Landmark andIowa State Preserve. The state forest is named after its dominantold-growth tree, thewhite pine. The grove is said to be the only old-growth patch of white pines still growing in Iowa.[2] The nearest town of any size isLuxemburg.
Formerly known as: "Pine Creek Hollow," and "Pine Hollow".[1]
The Dubuque region is relatively far south for the white pine to thrive. White Pine Hollow, part of theDriftless Area, is a patch of north-facingalgific talus slope land, a subset of dolomitekarstland with manysinkholes,caverns, and other sharp changes in elevation.[2] The conifer population may have established itself here at a time when the climate of Iowa was colder than it is today, and this grove could be arelict of what was once a much larger population.[3]
White Pine Hollow contains over 625 species of plants.[3] Twoendangered species of animals, theIndiana bat and theIowa Pleistocene snail, have been observed here. One threatened species of plant, thenorthern wild monkshood, has also been observed growing here.[2]
The White Pine Hollow State Forest and Preserve was designated as a state forest in 1934, listed as an Iowa State Preserve in 1968, and listed as a National Natural Landmark in 1967.[3][4]
