The Wild Oak Trail is a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

located in 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 Highlands division. The physiographic province is divided into three se ...

in Central

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 ...

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 ...

. It is part of

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

. The trail is a loop, and begins at the headwaters of the North River, and traverses up to several ridge tops. Due to the trail's difficulty (circumnavigating the trail requires 7,850 feet of total ascent) and length, it sees little traffic.

History

The Wild Oak Trail was designated a

by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1979. Much of the land surrounding the trail and the North River was cleared for farming, which continued through the 1930s. It was during this time that portions of the trail was cleared by 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 ...

to help in providing access for fighting Forest Fires. Camp Todd, which the trail passes by after a crossing of the North River, was used as a herdsman's cabin and a Fire Guard station.

Animals and Plants

There are a variety of birds, reptiles and mammals in the area.

Deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

, Black Bear, rattlesnakes,

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order (biology), order Galliformes, in the family (biology), family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the Tribe (biology), tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetr ...

and bobcats may be encountered by users of the trail. There have been more than forty species of trees and thirty wildflowers identified along the Wild Oak Trail.

Activities

The trail sees a variety of user activity, including

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 ...

and

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

. To complete the entire loop, various guides suggest devoting a day to each of the trail's three sections. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. Challenges for the hiker include steep ascents and descents, and few water supply points. There are backcountry camp spots along the trail. Hikers should be aware that the area is popular with hunters in the fall and should exercise necessary caution. Also, the trail and overlooks tend to be overgrown with vegetation late in summer, so an early Spring or early Fall hike is recommended. Mountain Biking is also a popular activity on the Wild Oak Trail. Part of the Shenandoah 100 Ultra-Endurance race uses the trail. The Virginia Happy Trails Running Club hold a couple "unofficial" trail running events a year on the Wild Oak. Participants may run the loop multiple times. Horseback Riders also utilize the trail, while using Camp Todd to stay overnight. In addition, the primitive North River Campground is located two miles (3 km) from the trail.

North River Campground (accessed May 11, 2007)

Image gallery

File:Wild Oak Trail snake.jpg, An example of the wildlife found on the trail Image:WildOakTrail_uphill.jpg, The trail often leads uphill Image:North River (South Fork Shenandoah River).jpg, The North River crossing, near Camp Todd

Notes

External links

Wild Oak Trail on Trimble Outdoors
{{Coord, 38.395016, -79.258041, display=title Hiking trails in Virginia Protected areas of Augusta County, Virginia National Recreation Trails in Virginia