Shaw Gap is a wildland in the

George Washington and Jefferson National Forests The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover of land in the Appalachian Moun ...

of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".Virginia's Mountain Treasures, report issued by The Wilderness Society, May, 1999 The Iron Mountain Trail, passing through the center of the area along Iron Mountain, was once the site of the Appalachian Trail and, consequently, received protection not found on other trails. Older trees are found along many sections of the trail. The area has plentiful wildlife, and the site of an old homestead is still visible. The forest service classifies a large section of the area as having unspoiled scenic beauty. The area is part of the ''

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 ...

''.

Location and access

ShawGapVA Wytheville 188819 1982 100000 geoScaledAreaUpdate

The area is located 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 ...

of Southwestern Virginia about 2.7 miles northwest of

Konnarock, Virginia Konnarock is an unincorporated community in Washington and Smyth counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. Konnarock Training School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is th ...

between USFS Rd 90 on the west and Va 600 on the east. It lies between the Feathercamp wild area and the Seng Mountain National Scenic Area. Trails and roads into the area include: *Beaver Gap, FS (Forest Service) 4551, 3.1 miles, moderate difficulty, yellow diamond blaze, hiking and mountain biking *Beaver Flats, FS 4611, 0.3 miles, easy, no blaze, hiking *Chestnut Ridge, FS 4542, 1.8 miles, difficult, yellow triangle blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses *Iron Mountain, FS 301, 6.3 miles, moderate, yellow blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses and motorcycles *Iron Mountain Spur A, FS 4641, 0.7 miles, easy, yellow blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses, motorcycles *Lum, FS 4544, 1.0 miles, moderate, yellow diamond blaze, hiking and mountain biking *Rush, FS 4565, 1.8 miles, difficult, yellow square blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses *Shaw Gap, FS 4545, 1.0 miles, moderate, yellow square blaze, hiking, mountain biking *Skulls Gap FS 4637, 1.0 miles, moderate, no blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses *Straight Branch, FS 168, 1.5 miles, moderate, yellow triangle blaze, hiking, mountain biking The boundary of the wildland as determined by the Wilderness Society is shown in the adjacent map. Additional roads and trails are given on National Geographic Maps 786 (Mount Rogers). and Map 318 (Mount Rogers High Country) A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wild land's coordinates in the upper right of this page. Beyond maintained trails, old logging roads can be used to explore the area. The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable. Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

(USGS). The Shaw Gap wild area is covered by USGS topographic maps ''Konnarock'' and ''Whitetop Mountain''. The Beartree Recreation area, to the south, offers camping and hiking as well as swimming and fishing in Beartree Lake.

Natural history

There are several old growth tracks on the western and eastern sides of the area. Streams in the area are recognized for their water quality. Wild natural trout streams in Virginia are classified by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries by their water quality, with class i the highest and class iv the lowest.9VAC25-260-370. Classification Column.
9VAC25-260-370. Classification Column.
accessdate: April 23, 2018 Rush Creek and Mill Creek are class ii streams.

Topography

As part of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains Subsection within the Central Appalachian Broadleaf Coniferous Forest-Meadow Province, there are tectonic uplifted mountain ranges composed of igneous and metamorphic rock with many high gradient, deeply incised streams. The area is drained by Rush Creek, which flows southwest, and Mill Creek, flowing to the northeast. Both creeks flow into the South Fork of the Holston River, about north four miles north and west of the area.

Forest Service management

The Forest Service has conducted a survey of their lands to determine the potential for wilderness designation. Wilderness designation provides a high degree of protection from development. The areas that were found suitable are referred to as inventoried roadless areas. Later a Roadless Rule was adopted that limited road construction in these areas. The rule provided some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas. The area was not inventoried in the roadless area review, and therefore not protected from possible road construction and timber sales. Route 600 on the eastern boundary was relocated, straightened and widened where it crosses Iron Mountain. Completed in 1999, the new section is further to the east. The old road has been removed with a section forming a trail to an overlook along the new route. The forest service classifies areas under their management by a recreational opportunity setting that informs visitors of the diverse range of opportunities available in the forest. A large area on the north has been designated by the Forest Service as "back country-few roads", an area to the south of Iron Mountain, near the Bear Creek campground, is designated "concentrated recreation", areas along the Iron Mountain Trail are designated "semi-primitive motorized" , and surrounding areas to the north and south are designated "semi primitive 2".

References

External links