Date Acquired: 2014

 

Address: 112 Settlement Road, NB

Trail: Gold Trail

​

          Bell Flats is a 15.5-hectare preserve located at 112 Bell Settlement Road in Belleville, New Brunswick. Once managed as a commercial woodlot, the property was planted with balsam fir, black spruce, and red pine for timber and hydro pole production. Today, approximately half of the property remains plantation forest, while a significant mixed-wood stand extends from the northeastern corner of the property toward the Meduxnekeag River.

​

          The Gold Trail provides visitors with a unique opportunity to compare natural forest conditions with plantation forestry. Throughout the softwood plantations, the dense canopy limits understory growth, creating a contrasting environment from the adjacent mixed forest. Despite the sparse understory, these plantations provide important wildlife habitat. The combination of nearby deciduous browse and dense conifer cover creates excellent winter shelter for white-tailed deer, while ruffed grouse are frequently observed along the transition zones between habitat types.

​

          Many of the plantation stands have surpassed their intended rotation age and are becoming increasingly susceptible to windthrow and other natural disturbances. To encourage a more diverse and climate-resilient forest, Meduxnekeag River Association staff have been enrichment planting newly created canopy gaps with native tree species.

​

          The Gold Trail begins in a balsam fir plantation before entering a mixed forest that offers a glimpse of the Appalachian Hardwood Forest that once dominated much of the Meduxnekeag River Valley. Along this section of trail, visitors can observe basswood, ironwood, white ash, and occasionally butternut, representing all four indicator species associated with this rare forest type. As the trail approaches the Meduxnekeag River, the forest transitions once again into a balsam fir plantation. From several viewpoints overlooking the river, visitors can observe the broad river flats that give the preserve its name, often from beneath the shade of large eastern white pines. These towering trees provide ideal perch sites for bald eagles and other birds of prey, making wildlife sightings common in this section of the trail.

​

           Evidence of the property's agricultural history is also visible. Portions of the lower property were graded flat for farming, and rockpiles remain scattered throughout the landscape. The loop passes through this historical farmland before entering a black spruce plantation and arriving back at the trail entrance.

Today, Bell Flats serves as both a conservation area and an outdoor classroom. The Gold Trail is regularly used for educational programming with students in Grades 3–8 and is rated as moderate difficulty due to several steep sections of terrain.

​

          Written by Devon Bustard