Wildlife and History
According to the official website, Horse Pens 40 is home to many varieties of rare birds, animal, and plants, as well as ancient burial mounds and Native American Fetishes. From the official website:
Since it is a natural stone fortress atop a fortress-like mountain, it was used by the Native Americans as a protected village and ceremonial area for thousands of years. There are living and working areas as well as burial areas dating back to the Paleo (pre- Stone Age-12,000+ years ago) and Archaic (early Stone Age-10,000 years ago) periods up to more recent times throughout the park. We also have what may be the only remaining example in the United States of an ancient leaching pit that has seen actual historical use.
The boulders range from 400 to 600 million years old with a section that scientists say may possibly date back over a billion years old. Horse Pens 40 is home to field mice, mountain lions, foxes, badgers, black bear, coyotes, raccoons, deer, groundhogs, squirrels, as well as an assortment of hawks, owls, turkey vultures, and the rare red-cockaded woodpecker and red piliated woodpeckers.
Read more about this topic: Horse Pens 40
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