The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

of eastern

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties. The Monongahela National Forest includes some major landform features such as the

Allegheny Front The Allegheny Front is the major southeast- or east-facing escarpment in the Allegheny Mountains in southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, eastern West Virginia, and western Virginia, USA. The Allegheny Front forms the boundary between the ...

and the western portion of the

Ridge-and-valley Appalachians The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

. Within the forest boundaries lie some of the highest mountain peaks in the state, including the highest, Spruce Knob (4,863 ft). Spruce Knob is also the highest point in the Allegheny Mountains. Approximately 75 tree species are found in the forest. Almost all of the trees are a second growth forest, grown back after the land was heavily cutover around the start of the 20th century. Species for which the forest is important include red spruce (''Picea rubens''),

balsam fir ''Abies balsamea'' or balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada (Newfoundland west to central Alberta) and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to ...

(''Abies balsamea''), and

mountain ash Mountain ash may refer to: * '' Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosa ...

(''Sorbus americana''). The Monongahela National Forest includes eight

U.S. Wilderness Area The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the Na ...

s and several special-use areas, notably the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.

Administration

The main administrative headquarters is located in

Elkins, West Virginia Elkins is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins, a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 6,950 at the 20 ...

. The Monongahela also includes four ranger districts. The forest includes 105 permanent employees, seasonal employees, and volunteers. Monongahela National Forest is currently divided into four ranger districts. The Cheat-Potomac and Marlinton-White Sulphur Springs were formed by combining their namesake districts; in the merged districts, the offices for both original districts were retained. * Cheat-Potomac Ranger District, Headquarters:

Parsons, West Virginia Parsons is the county seat and largest city in Tucker County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,322 at the 2020 census. The mayor of Parsons is Dorothy Judy and the city administrator is Jason Myers. The city is also governed by ...

** Office (former HQ, Potomac Ranger District) at

Petersburg, West Virginia Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,251 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. History Petersburg was founded circa 1745 by Jacob Peterson, who owned the area's first merc ...

* Gauley Ranger District, Headquarters:

Richwood, West Virginia Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. In 2020, the census showed Richwood with a population of 1,661. During the 19th and early 20th century Richwood was a booming coal and lumber town. Richwood has a very rich h ...

* Greenbrier Ranger District, Headquarters: Bartow, West Virginia * Marlinton-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District, Headquarters: Marlinton, West Virginia ** Office (former HQ, White Sulphur Springs Ranger District) at

White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County in southeastern West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,231 at the 2020 census. The city emblem consists of five dandelion flowers and the citizens celebrate spring with an annual Da ...

History

The Monongahela National Forest was established following passage of the Weeks Act in 1911. This act authorized the purchase of land for long-term watershed protection and natural resource management following the massive cutting of the eastern forests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1915, were acquired to begin the forest, called the "Monongahela Purchase", and on April 28, 1920 it became the "Monongahela National Forest". By the end of 1924, the Monongahela National Forest had a total ownership of some . Although white-tail deer never vanished from the Monongahela National Forest, from the 1890s to the 1920s their numbers dropped substantially. In January 1930, eight deer procured from

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

were released into the forest near Parsons. From 1937 to 1939, a total of 17 more deer were released in the Flatrock-Roaring Plains area of the Forest. These releases served as the nucleus for reestablishing the healthy breeding populations of eastern West Virginia. (By the mid-1940s, deer were so numerous in the area that crop farmers had to patrol their fields by night.) In 1943 and 1944, as part of the

West Virginia Maneuver Area The West Virginia Maneuver Area (WVMA) was a vast, five-county training ground in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia used by the U.S. Army during World War II to train soldiers in low-altitude mountain operations. This area was selec ...

, the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

used parts of the Monongahela National Forest as a practice

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...

and mortar range and maneuver area before troops were sent to Europe to fight in World War II. Artillery and mortar shells shot into the area for practice are still occasionally found there today. Seneca Rocks and other area cliffs were also used for assault climbing instruction. This was the Army's only low-altitude climbing school. The

fisher Fisher is an archaic term for a fisherman, revived as gender-neutral. Fisher, Fishers or The Fisher may also refer to: Places Australia *Division of Fisher, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland *Elect ...

(''Pekania pennanti''), believed to have been exterminated in the state by 1912, was reintroduced during the winter of 1969. At that time 23 fishers were translocated from New Hampshire to two sites within boundaries of the Monongahela National Forest (at

Canaan Mountain Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...

in Tucker County and

Cranberry Glades Cranberry Glades — also known simply as The Glades — are a cluster of five small, boreal-type bogs in southwestern Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. This area, high in the Allegheny Mountains at about , is protected as the C ...

in Pocahontas County). In 1980, and again in 2005, the Monongahela National Forest was the venue for the annual

counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. H ...

Rainbow Gathering Rainbow Gatherings are temporary, loosely knit communities of people, who congregate in remote forests around the world for one or more weeks at a time with the stated intention of living a shared ideology of peace, harmony, freedom, and respect. ...

. In 1993, the Craig Run East Fork Rockshelter and Laurel Run Rockshelter in the Gauley Ranger District were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Statistics and general information

General

* Land area: over * Wilderness areas: * Roads: * Visitor centers: 2 (Cranberry Mountain Nature Center and Seneca Rocks Discovery Center) * Designated Scenic Areas: 3 * Visitor observation towers: 2 ( Bickle Knob Tower and Olson Tower) * Picnic areas: 17 * Campgrounds: 23 * Snowmobile areas: 1 (Highland Scenic Highway) * Wildlife management areas (managed with West Virginia Division of Natural Resources): 10 * Warm-water fishing steams: * Trout streams: * Impoundments (reservoirs): 5

Trails

* Trails: 825 miles (1,327 km) ** Outside Wilderness Areas: 660 miles (1,062 km), ''not counting the 3 newest wildernesses'' ** In Wilderness Areas: 165 miles (265 km), ''not counting the 3 newest wildernesses''

Natural features

* Wilderness areas: 8

Sensitive species

* Sensitive plants and wildlife: 50 * Threatened and endangered species: 9

Geography

The Monongahela National Forest encompasses most of the southern third of the

range (a section of the vast

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

range) and is entirely within the state of West Virginia. Elevations within the Monongahela National Forest range from about at Petersburg to at Spruce Knob. A rain shadow effect caused by slopes of the

results in of annual precipitation on the west side and about half that on the east side. Headwaters of six major river systems are located within the forest: Monongahela, Potomac, Greenbrier, Elk, Tygart, and Gauley. Twelve rivers are currently under study for possible inclusion in the

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

Ecology

The forest is noted for its rugged landscape, views, blueberry thickets, highland bogs and "

sods Sods is a term used in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia for a mountain top meadow or bog, in an area that is otherwise generally forested. The term is similar (perhaps identical) to that of a " grass bald", a more widespread desi ...

", and open areas with exposed rocks. In addition to the second-growth forest trees, the wide range of botanical species found includes

rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...

, laurel on the moist west side of the Allegheny Front, and

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

and endemic shale barren species on the drier eastern slopes. There are 230 known species of birds inhabiting the Monongahela National Forest: 159 are known to breed there, 89 are

Neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

migrants; 71 transit the forest during migration, but do not breed there, and 17 non-breeding species are Neotropical. The Brooks Bird Club (BBC) conducts an annual bird banding and survey project in the vicinity of Dolly Sods Scenic Area during migration (August - September). The forest provides habitat for 9 federally listed endangered or threatened species: 2 bird species, 2 bat species, 1 subspecies of flying squirrel, 1 salamander species, and 3 plant species. Fifty other species of rare/sensitive plants and animals also occur in the forest. Larger animals and game species found in the forest include black bear,

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be compose ...

and

fox squirrel The fox squirrel (''Sciurus niger''), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for A ...

rabbits Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

snowshoe hare The snowshoe hare (''Lepus americanus''), also called the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal's feet prevent it from sin ...

woodcock The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus ''Scolopax''. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders. The English ...

, and

grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondria ...

. Limited waterfowl habitat exists in certain places. Furbearers include

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers a ...

, red and

gray fox The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littor ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the ...

, river otter,

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of ...

and

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera '' Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": ...

. Other hunted species include

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...

skunks Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ging ...

opossums Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North A ...

, woodchucks, crows, and

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...

s. There are 12 species of game (pan) fish and 60 species of nongame or

forage fish Forage fish, also called prey fish or bait fish, are small pelagic fish which are preyed on by larger predators for food. Predators include other larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Typical ocean forage fish feed near the base of the f ...

. Some 90% of the trout waters of West Virginia are within the forest.

Recreation

The Monongahela National Forest is a recreation destination and tourist attraction, hosting approximately 3 million visitors annually. The backwoods road and trail system is used for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

. There are many miles of railroad grades that are a link in the recreation use of the forest. (The longest is the Glady to Durbin West Fork Railroad Trail which is long.) Recreation ranges from self-reliant treks in the wildernesses and backcountry areas, to the challenges of rock climbing, to traditional developed site camping.

Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other act ...

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

trapping Animal trapping, or simply trapping or gin, is the use of a device to remotely catch an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including food, the fur trade, hunting, pest control, and wildlife management. History Neolithi ...

, fishing, and

wildlife Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted ...

viewing are also common uses.

Campgrounds

The following are developed campgrounds in the forest: * Bear Heaven Campground * Big Bend Campground * Big Rock Campground * Bird Run Campground * Bishop Knob Campground * Blue Bend Recreation Area and Campground * Cranberry Campground * Cranberry River Sites * Day Run Campground * Gatewood Group Camp * Horseshoe Campground * Island Campground * Jess Judy Group Campground * Lake Sherwood Recreation Area and Campground * Laurel Fork Campground * Middle Mountain Cabins * Pocahontas Campground * Red Creek Campground * Seneca Shadows Campground * Spruce Knob Lake Campground * Stuart Campground * Stuart Group Campground * Summit Lake Campground * Tea Creek Campground * Williams River sites

Commercial resources

The forest administration maintains wildlife and timber programs aimed at responsible management of a mixed age forest. About 81 percent of the total forest area is closed canopy forest over 60 years of age. The tree species most valuable for timber and for wildlife food in the Monongahela National Forest are black cherry and oaks. The forest's commercial timber sale program averages 30 mbf (thousand board feet) of timber sold per year with a yearly average value of $7.5 million. A variety of cutting techniques are used, from cutting of single trees to clearcutting blocks up to in size. Regeneration cuts (clearcuts or other treatments designed to start a new timber stand) occur on approximately yearly out of the more than forest total. Mineral resources located in the Monongahela National Forest include coal, gas,

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, and

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

. Sheep and cattle grazing occurs on about . Receipts for timber, grazing, land uses, minerals, and recreation use averaged $4,840,466 annually between FY92 and FY96, and 25% of that (an average of $1,210,116 per year) was returned to counties that include Monongahela National Forest lands. This money is intended for use by local schools and for roads. The remaining 75% each year is returned to the U.S. Treasury.

Areas of interest within the Monongahela National Forest

Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

* Spruce Knob * Seneca Rocks * River Knobs * Spruce Knobs lake * Sites Homestead * Smoke Hole Canyon

U.S. Wilderness Areas

* Big Draft Wilderness, ' * Cranberry Wilderness, ' * Dolly Sods Wilderness, ' * Laurel Fork North Wilderness, ' * Laurel Fork South Wilderness, ' *

Otter Creek Wilderness The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, USA. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain and ...

, ' * Roaring Plains West Wilderness, ' **

Mount Porte Crayon Mount Porte Crayon is a mountain in the Roaring Plains Wilderness of the Monongahela National Forest in the northeastern corner of Randolph County, West Virginia, USA. It rises to an elevation of , the elevational climax of the Allegheny Front. ...

* Spice Run Wilderness, '

Registered National Natural Landmarks

* Big Run Bog * Blister Run Swamp *

Canaan Valley Canaan Valley () is a large bathtub-shaped upland valley in northeastern Tucker County, West Virginia, USA. Within it are extensive wetlands and the headwaters of the Blackwater River which spills out of the valley at Blackwater Falls. It is a w ...

Cranberry Glades Botanical Area Cranberry Glades — also known simply as The Glades — are a cluster of five small, boreal-type bogs in southwestern Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States. This area, high in the Allegheny Mountains at about , is protected as the ...

* Fisher Spring Run Bog *

Gaudineer Scenic Area The Gaudineer Scenic Area (GSA) is a scenic area and National Natural Landmark in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). It is situated just north of Gaudineer Knob of Shavers Mountain on the border of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Vir ...

* Germany Valley Karst Area * Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock Stand * Sinnett-Thorn Mountain Cave System

Sites listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

:''NB: Only sites actually on USFS land are listed here.'' * Rohrbaugh Cabin * Craig Run East Fork Rockshelter * Laurel Run Rockshelter * Sites Homestead

Stands of old growth forest

Some of true

old-growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological feature ...

have been documented within the Monongahela National Forest. Forest Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

(September 2006)
''Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan''
; Appendix B, pg 4. The largest of these areas are: * Fanny Bennett Hemlock Grove, ''a

eastern hemlock ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...

stand'' *

, ''50 acres of virgin red spruce forest'' * North Fork Mountain Red Pine Botanical Area, ''10 acres of

red pine ''Pinus resinosa'', known as red pine (also Norway pine in Minnesota), is a pine native to North America. Description Red pine is a coniferous evergreen tree characterized by tall, straight growth. It usually ranges from in height and in trun ...

old growth forest'' * North Spruce Mountain Old Growth Site, ''about '' * Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock Stand, ''a red spruce- hemlock stand, partly in the

'' * Virgin White Pine Botanical Area, ''a white pine stand''

Other features

* Fernow Experimental Forest * Lake Sherwood * Summit Lake * Falls of Hills Creek *

Highland Scenic Highway Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

* Williams River * Stuart Memorial Drive * Flatrock Plains * Sinks of Gandy Creek

Gallery

Image:Monongahela National Forest - Entrance Gate.jpg, Entrance gate along Old

US 33 U.S. Route 33 (US 33) is a United States Numbered Highway that runs northwest–southeast for from northern Indiana to Richmond, Virginia, passing through Ohio and West Virginia en route. Although most odd-numbered U.S. routes are north–s ...

east of Elkins. Image:NorthForkMountain.wmg.jpg, North Fork Mountain Image:Monongahela National Forest - Middle Mountain Cabins.jpg, Middle Mountain Cabins Image:Highland scenic highway.jpg,

Image:Lake Sherwood (West Virginia).jpg, Lake Sherwood Image:Olson Observation Tower.jpg, Olson Observation Tower Image:SinksofGandyCreek1.jpg, The Sinks of Gandy Creek Image:Fernow Experimental Forest - Entrance Sign.jpg, Fernow Experimental Forest Image:SmokeHoleGorge.JPG, Smoke Hole Canyon from atop Cave Mountain File:A small portion of the Fanny Bennett Hemlock Grove on one side of Spruce Knob, West Virginia's highest mountain, in Pendleton County LCCN2015634475.tif, Fanny Bennett Hemlock Grove

References

Citations

Other sources

* McKim, C.R. (1970), ''Monongahela National Forest History'', Unpublished manuscript available at the Monongahela National Forest Office,

. * de Hart, Allen and Bruce Sundquist (2006), ''Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide'', 8th edition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy,

Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and most populous city of West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers, the city had a population of 48,864 at the 2020 census and an estimated population of 48,018 in 2021. The Charlesto ...

. * Berman, Gillian Mace, Melissa Conley-Spencer, Barbara J. Howe and Charlene Lattea (1992), ''The Monongahela National Forest: 1915-1990'', Morgantown, West Virginia: WVU Public History Program; For the United States Forest Service: Monongahela National Forest. (March 1992) * DeMeo, Tom and Julie Concannon (1996), "On the Mon: Image and Substance in West Virginia's National Forest", '' Inner Voice'', Vol. 8, Issue 1, January/February. * Weitzman, Sidney (1977), ''Lessons from the Monongahela Experience'', USDA, Forest Service, December. * ''This article contains information that originally came from US Government publications and websites and is in the public domain.''

External links