The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S.

National Forests National Forest may refer to: * National forest or state forest, a forest administered or protected by a sovereign state ** National forest (Brazil) ** National forest (France) ** National forest (United States) ** State Forests (Poland) ** The N ...

into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The forests cover of land in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, and

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. Approximately of the forest are remote and undeveloped and have been designated as

wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...

areas, which prohibits future development.

History

George Washington National Forest was established on May 16, 1918, as the Shenandoah National Forest. The forest was renamed after the

first President First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

on June 28, 1932. Natural Bridge National Forest was added on July 22, 1933. Jefferson National Forest was formed on April 21, 1936, by combining portions of the Unaka and George Washington National Forests with other land. In 1995, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests were administratively combined. The border between the two forests roughly follows the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

. The combined forest is administered from its headquarters in

Roanoke Roanoke may refer to: Places *Roanoke Colony, a former English colony that mysteriously disappeared *Roanoke Island, the location of the Roanoke colony in present-day North Carolina *Roanoke River, flowing through Virginia and North Carolina and ...

Notable features

* The northern portion of the

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

, which is separately administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, runs through the Forest. * Over 2,000 miles (3,000 km) of hiking trails, including segments of the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail, also called the A.T., is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tra ...

, go through the forest. * Virginia's highest point,

Mount Rogers Mount Rogers is the highest natural point in Virginia, United States, with a summit elevation of above mean sea level. The summit straddles the border of Grayson and Smyth Counties, Virginia, about WSW of Troutdale, Virginia. Most of the m ...

, is located in the

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area (NRA) in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. It centerpiece is the Lewis Fork Wilderness containing Mount Rogers, the highe ...

that is part of the forest. Other notable mountains include

Elliott Knob Elliott Knob is one of the highest mountains in the northern portions of the U.S. state of Virginia. At , the peak is located on the ridge known as Great North Mountain. A subpeak known simply as "Hogback" () is located to the southwest. A smal ...

, which has one of the last remaining

fire lookout towers A fire lookout tower, fire tower, or lookout tower is a tower that provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout", whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit ...

in the eastern U.S., and

Whitetop Mountain Whitetop Mountain is the second highest independent mountain in the U.S. state of Virginia, after nearby Mount Rogers. It is also the third highest named peak in Virginia, after Mount Rogers and its subsidiary peak, Pine Mountain. It is loc ...

. * Approximately of

old-growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

s. * The

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

Lignite, Virginia Lignite is a ghost town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. A former lignite mining town owned by Allegheny Ore and Iron Company (which later became a subsidiary of Lukens Steel Company in 1907, it contained a company store, churches ...

, lies within the forest. * The deepest gorge east of the Mississippi River,

Breaks Interstate Park Breaks Interstate Park, also known as "the Breaks," is a bi-state state park located partly in southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia in the Jefferson National Forest, at the northeastern terminus of Pine Mountain. The land is manage ...

, is located in the forest. *

Roaring Run Furnace Roaring Run Furnace is a historic fiery furnace located in Jefferson National Forest near Eagle Rock, Botetourt County, Virginia. It was built about 1832, and reflects the national and statewide economics of the iron industry during the 19th ce ...

is the only site on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

owned by the Jefferson National Forest.

Flora and fauna

The Forests' vast and mountainous terrain harbors a great variety of plant life—over 50 species of trees and over 2,000 species of shrubs and

herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

s. The Forests contain some of

old growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

s, representing all of the major forest communities found within them. Locations of old growth include Peters Mountain,

Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area is a federally designated National Scenic Area within George Washington National Forest in Virginia, USA, to the north of Lynchburg. The scenic area is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The scenic area ...

Rich Hole Wilderness Rich Hole Wilderness is a designated wilderness area in the James River Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of Virginia in the United States. The wilderness area was established in 1988 and comprises . It is a ...

, Flannery Ridge, Pick Breeches Ridge, and Laurel Fork Gorge, Pickem Mountain, and

. The Ramsey's Draft and Kimberling Creek Wildernesses in particular are mostly old-growth. The

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

is relatively common, enough so that there is a short hunting season to prevent overpopulation.

White-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

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 ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

, and

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...

are also known to inhabit the Forests.

Activities

The forests are popular

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) 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

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

destinations. The

extends for 330 miles (530 km) from the southern end of

Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah National Park (often ) is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its ...

through the forest and along the

. The forest is within a two-hour drive for over ten million people and thus receives large numbers of visitors, especially in the region closest to Shenandoah National Park. The George Washington National Forest is a popular destination for

trail runners A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

. It is the location for several

Ultramarathon An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...

s, including the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler, the Old Dominion 100 miler, and the Old Dominion Memorial 100 miler. George Washington Forest is also the venue for Nature Camp, a natural science education-oriented summer camp for youth. The camp is located on national forest land near the town of

Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

. It has operated at this location since the summer of 1953.

Counties

Jefferson National Forest is located in 23 separate counties, more than any other National Forest except

Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain National Forest (MTNF) is a U.S. National Forest located in the southern half of Missouri, composed of nine disconnected parcels. MTNF was established on September 11, 1939. It is named for author Mark Twain, a Missouri native. The ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, which lies in 29 counties. Botetourt, Monroe, and Rockbridge counties, at the dividing line between the two forests, include parts of both forests. Thirdly, note that the state of

actually has very little area, with its two counties bringing up the tail end of Jefferson National Forest.

Ranger district offices

Ranger offices are the Forest Service's public service offices. Maps and other information about the forests can be obtained at these locations. These offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Supervisor's Office in Roanoke is not located in the forest and is primarily an administrative location. District offices are listed from north to south. Counties are in Virginia unless otherwise indicated.

Wilderness areas

There are of federally designated

areas in the two forests under the United States

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federal government of the United States, federally managed Wilderness, wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally ...

. All are in the state of Virginia, except as indicated. The largest of these is the

Mountain Lake Wilderness Mountain Lake Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The wilderness area is located next to privately owned Mountain Lake (Virginia), Mountain Lake, and consists of in Virginia and in Wes ...

, at . There are 17 wildernesses in Jefferson National Forest, second only to

Tongass National Forest The Tongass National Forest () in Southeast Alaska is the largest U.S. National Forest at , an expanse larger than 10 U.S. states and 75 U.N. member nations. Most of its area is temperate rain forest and is remote enough to be home to many s ...

, which has 19.

George Washington National Forest

* Barbours Creek Wilderness (part) * Priest Wilderness * Ramseys Draft Wilderness *

* Rough Mountain Wilderness * Saint Mary's Wilderness * Shawvers Run Wilderness (part) * Three Ridges Wilderness

Jefferson National Forest

* Barbours Creek Wilderness (most) * Beartown Wilderness * Brush Mountain East Wilderness * Brush Mountain Wilderness * Garden Mountain Wilderness * Hunting Camp Creek Wilderness *

James River Face Wilderness The James River Face Wilderness is an 8,907-acre area located near Natural Bridge, Virginia that is protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation ...

* Kimberling Creek Wilderness * Lewis Fork Wilderness * Little Dry Run Wilderness * Little Wilson Creek Wilderness *

(Virginia / West Virginia) * Peters Mountain Wilderness * Raccoon Branch Wilderness * Shawvers Run Wilderness (most) * Stone Mountain Wilderness *

Thunder Ridge Wilderness The Thunder Ridge Wilderness is a area located near Natural Bridge, Virginia, which is protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, it hel ...

Wilderness Society's "Mountain Treasures" in the Jefferson Forest

In 1999 the Wilderness Society conducted a review of lands in the Jefferson National Forest to look for large, intact areas that satisfy a need for backcountry recreation, ecological study, biodiversity, and the preservation of cultural history from early America. The report found 67 such areas and identified them as “Mountain Treasures”.Virginia's Mountain Treasures, report issued by The Wilderness Society, May 1999 In 2012 The New River Group of the Sierra Club commissioned a study to review the status of these areas. Some of the areas had been converted into Wilderness Areas, while others had not received any special protection. Areas in close proximity were grouped with nearby wilderness areas into eleven clusters. The clusters, from north to south, are: *

Glenwood Cluster The Glenwood Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests recognized by The Wilderness Society for its rich biodiversity, scenery, wildflower displays, cold-water trout streams and horse trails. It offers a unique ...

Craig Creek Cluster The Craig Creek Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. The cluster contains wildlands and wilderness areas along Craig Creek, a 65-mile long cr ...

Barbours Creek-Shawvers Run Cluster The Barbours Creek-Shawvers Run Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. ...

Sinking Creek Valley Cluster The Sinking Creek Valley Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its unique recreational and scenic values as well as the importance of its watershed pro ...

Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster The Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique waterfalls, vistas, trout stream and wildlife habitat. The heart of the region is the Mountain Lake Wilderness, the largest wilderness in the Geo ...

Angels Rest Cluster The Angels Rest Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats with steep mountain ...

Walker Mountain Cluster The Walker Mountain Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending alon ...

Kimberling Creek Cluster The Kimberling Creek Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending alon ...

Garden Mountain Cluster The Garden Mountain Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending along ...

Mount Rogers Cluster The Mount Rogers Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society (United States), The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. The heart of the region is Mount Rogers, the hi ...

Clinch Ranger District Cluster The Clinch Ranger District Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests recognized by The Wilderness Society for its rich biodiversity and rugged scenery. It offers a unique habitat for rare plants, salamanders and ...

History

The first camp of the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

''NF-1, Camp Roosevelt'', was established in the George Washington National Forest near Luray, Virginia. It is now the site of the Camp Roosevelt Recreation Area.

Mountain Valley Pipeline protests

In 2018–2019, protests occurred near Peters Mountain to block the

Mountain Valley Pipeline The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a natural gas pipeline constructed from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. The MVP is long, and there is also a proposed Southgate Extension which will run from Virginia into North Carolina. T ...

. The 303-mile

pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...

would transport

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

through the Jefferson National Forest and cross the

2023 crash

In 2023 a small plane carrying four people strayed into restricted Washington, D.C., airspace. Because of this, a number of F16 jets were sent to intercept the aircraft. The pilots of the jets noticed that the aircraft pilot was passed out. The plane eventually crashed landed in the park. There were no survivors.

References

Bibliography

* * Jefferson National Forest: An Appalachian Environmental History. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Pr., 2011. * ''Prehistoric Southwest Virginia: Aboriginal Occupation, Land Use, and Environmental Worldview'', Smithfield Review 5 (April 2000): 125–151. * ''Turnpike Tourism in Western Virginia'', Virginia Cavalcade 48:1 (Winter 1998): 14–23. * ''The Potts Valley Branch Railroad and Tri-State Incline Lumber Operation in West Virginia and Virginia, 1892–1932'', West Virginia History 54 (1995): 42–58. * ''The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the Rise of Public Involvement in Forest Service Planning'', Environmental History Review 28 (Summer 1994): 41–65. * ''An Appalachian Forest: Creation of the Jefferson National Forest and its effects on the local community'', Forest and Conservation History 37:4 (October 1993): 169–178. * ''The Great Anti-Fire Campaign'', American Forests, 99:5&6 (May/June 1993): 33–35, 58. * ''Green Cove Station: An Appalachian train depot and its community'', Virginia Cavalcade, 42:2 (Autumn 1992): 52–61. * ''Fisheries and Wildlife Management: part of the history of the Jefferson National Forest'', Virginia Forests, 48:2 (Summer 1992): 6–8.

External links

History

Notable features

Flora and fauna

Activities

Counties

Ranger district offices

Wilderness areas

George Washington National Forest

Jefferson National Forest

Wilderness Society's "Mountain Treasures" in the Jefferson Forest

History

Mountain Valley Pipeline protests

2023 crash

See also

References

Bibliography

External links