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43-611: The area is part of the Glenwood Cluster . The area is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Virginia about 10 miles south of Glasgow, Virginia . The area is bounded by the Blue Ridge Parkway on the northwest and Va 602 (Hunting Camp Creek Road) on the east. Good access is gained from Va 602. The Forest Service has issued a document entitled "Motor Vehicle Use Map" dated January 1, 2015. The document

86-564: A challenge for geologists to determine the history of rock now found in the area. There is general agreement that the rocks in the Blue Ridge are the oldest rocks in the state, some being formed at least 1.8 billion years ago. The landforms in Virginia are part of five provinces—the Appalachian Plateau , Ridge and Valley , Blue Ridge , Piedmont and Coastal plain . The Glenwood Cluster

129-472: A great diversity of organisms living in a relationship that has evolved over many centuries. As land is being developed, these forests are becoming rare. There are several pockets of old-growth forest in the cluster—the James River Face Wilderness contains as much as 100 acres (40 ha) of old-growth forest in a steep, rocky terrain that was difficult to log. The Glenwood cluster lies within

172-618: A great variety of plant life—over 50 species of trees and over 2,000 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants . The Forests contain some 230,000 acres (930 km ) of old growth forests , representing all of the major forest communities found within them. Locations of old growth include Peters Mountain, Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area , Rich Hole Wilderness , Flannery Ridge, Pick Breeches Ridge, and Laurel Fork Gorge, Pickem Mountain , and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area . The Ramsey's Draft and Kimberling Creek Wildernesses in particular are mostly old-growth. The black bear

215-676: A pathway for Brown-headed cowbirds in their search for the location of nests of smaller birds, who then destroy the eggs and replace them with their own eggs leaving the unwitting owner to raise the cowbird hatchlings. The Glenwood Cluster is divided by several roads, the largest being the Blue Ridge Parkway that divides the White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain area from the rest of the cluster. The cluster contains pockets of old-growth forests , wild and complex mixtures of different species and ages of trees supporting

258-705: A unique habitat for rare plants, salamanders and other rare species. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail traverse the area, giving ready access with views to the east of the Piedmont region and to the west of the Valley of Virginia . The region includes wilderness areas protected by Congressional action, inventoried wilderness , and uninventoried areas recognized by the Wilderness Society as worthy of protection from timbering and roads. A corridor along

301-551: Is a set of 56 maps covering the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The maps show roads and trails in the forest and gives the type of vehicle allowed on each route with possible seasonal restrictions. The map covering the White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain area is included in the gallery below. Trails into the area include The boundary of the wildland as determined by the Wilderness Society

344-539: Is a small track of old growth forest near Camping Ridge, and large tracts on and east of Onion Mountain. Much of the northern side of Terrapin Mountain and Camping Ridge between Camping Gap and the Thunder Ridge Shelter are at least 140 years old. The deep forests offer habitat for black bear, salamanders, trout, and other species dependent on this habitat. Wild natural trout streams in Virginia are classified by

387-714: Is located in the Blue Ridge Province, with the Piedmont Province to the east and the Ridge and Valley to the west. The Blue Ridge, the easternmost of the Appalachian Mountains, extends from Georgia to Pennsylvania , with widths ranging from 5 to 50 miles (8.0 to 80.5 km). In some places the province is a single ridge, while in other places it is a complex of closely spaced ridges. Rocks include Precambrian granite , gneiss , and metamorphosed volcanic rock of

430-522: 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. There are 139,461 acres (564 km ) of federally designated wilderness areas in the two forests under the United States National Wilderness Preservation System . All are in the state of Virginia, except as indicated. The largest of these

473-465: Is relatively common, enough so that there is a short hunting season to prevent overpopulation. White-tailed deer , bobcat , bald eagles , weasel , otter , and marten are also known to inhabit the Forests. The forests are popular hiking , mountain biking , and hunting destinations. The Appalachian Trail extends for 330 miles (530 km) from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park through

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516-449: Is shown in the adjacent map. Additional roads and trails are given on National Geographic Map 789. A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wildland'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

559-740: Is the Mountain Lake Wilderness , at 16,511 acres (67 km ). There are 17 wildernesses in Jefferson National Forest, second only to Tongass National Forest , which has 19. 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”. In 2012 The New River Group of

602-513: The Piedmont , the area has a 2800-foot elevation change as it ascends to the mountain crests. The Forest Service has conducted a survey of their lands to determine their 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

645-594: The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation . The geology of the Glenwood Cluster has evolved over hundreds of millions of years. During this time, oceans were formed, each leaving a layer of sediment on its ocean bed. These ocean beds would be layered on top of one another, except for stress in the Earth's crust that created folds pushing the beds on top of one another. The result has left

688-731: The Blue Ridge Parkway, managed by the National Park Service, and forest service land in the Glenwood Ranger District act as a buffer for the protected areas. The following areas are in the cluster: Flanking the Blue Ridge Parkway, the region is south and east of the James River where the river turns east to cut through the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is 20 miles northwest of Roanoke, Virginia and about two miles southeast of Glasgow, Virginia . Interstate 81 parallels

731-578: The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries by their water quality, with class i the highest and class iv the lowest. Hunting Creek is ranked as a class ii trout stream. The wildland is in the Blue Ridge Mountains , a province of the Appalachian Mountains . The area, dominated by Terrapin Mountain at an elevation of 3506 feet and Onion Mountain with an elevation of 3812 feet, contains large scree slopes and boulders as large as buildings. Rising from

774-532: The Glenwood Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The district has an area of 74,000 acres (300 km ), with a large part created from the Glenwood Estate lands. Forests in the area were cut and recut to supply charcoal for the production of pig iron . The Glenwood Furnace, in the Arnold Valley, was built in 1849 and last operated in 1876. Historical records indicate that

817-467: The James River with an elevation of 649 feet, it climbs to an elevation of 3950 feet at Apple Orchard Mountain. The road, with no stop-signs or billboards, is a scenic drive connecting overlooks to the west and east. Its construction overcame steep terrain, eroded mountainsides, granite and gneiss bedrock and extreme winter weather. Stonemasons from Italy and Spain built the sturdy walls and bridges still seen today. After legislation authorizing construction

860-584: The Jefferson National Forest (north to south): 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 1.8 million acres (2,800 sq mi) of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia , West Virginia , and Kentucky . Approximately 1 million acres (1,600 sq mi) of

903-794: 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 , Virginia . It has operated at this location since the summer of 1953. Jefferson National Forest is located in 23 separate counties, more than any other National Forest except Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri , which lies in 29 counties. Botetourt, Monroe, and Rockbridge counties, at

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946-527: 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: The first camp of the Civilian Conservation Corps NF-1, Camp Roosevelt ,

989-448: The area on the west and Va 122 on the east. The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway travelling through the cluster can be accessed from US 501 on the north and VA 43 on the south. Other roads in the area are shown on National Geographic Map 789, Lexington and Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway, completed in 1935, follows the mountain tops at an average elevation of 3000 feet, giving access to scenic overlooks and natural areas along

1032-568: The avoidance of predators and other stress-inducing hazards. The construction of roads breaks up the landscape into islands which limit the free migration of forest species. Such edge effects have been shown to minimize the diversity required for the maintenance of a rich biological habitat. The bird population is also affected by the division of undisturbed forest into islands with edges defined by roads. Predators of birds, such as raccoons, snakes, skunks, house cats and egg-eating crows and blue jays, are often found at forest edges. And roads provide

1075-545: The cluster is obtained by selecting the icon in the lower right of the window, then clicking on the map. The map shows side trails and shelters along the trail. The trail can be broken into the following sections, with a link to access and parking information: The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Skyline Drive on the north with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the south. From its low point at

1118-599: The dividing line between the two forests, include parts of both forests. Thirdly, note that the state of Kentucky actually has very little area, with its two counties bringing up the tail end of Jefferson National Forest. 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

1161-478: 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 (USGS). The White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain wildland is covered by USGS topographic maps Snowden, Arnold Valley, Sedalia, and Peaks of Otter. A key to

1204-552: The earth's crust. Over time, it cut through 1,700 feet (520 m) of an ancient ocean's sediment to reach a bedrock of quartzite in the present-day Blue Ridge Mountains, creating a gorge through which the river now flows to reach Chesapeake Bay. Clusters of wild areas, such as the Glenwood Cluster, are important for the maintenance of biological diversity. A natural landscape contains a blend of ecosystems—mountain slopes, moist areas, soil types, temperatures—over which species can roam in their search for mates, foraging for food, and

1247-478: The forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway . 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 . It is the location for several Ultramarathons , including the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler,

1290-493: The forest are remote and undeveloped and 139,461 acres (218 sq mi) have been designated as wilderness areas, which prohibits future development. George Washington National Forest was established on May 16, 1918, as the Shenandoah National Forest. The forest was renamed after the first President on June 28, 1932. Natural Bridge National Forest was added on July 22, 1933. Jefferson National Forest

1333-427: The furnace employed 148 men, women and children in 1864. Old charcoal furnaces are part of the historic sites of the Glenwood Ranger District. Repeated cutting for the furnaces led in part to the successive forests that are present today. The early Glenwood purchase unit was composed of 60–90% American chestnut , a favored slope species by silvicultural techniques in 1914. A blight, discovered in 1912, progressed to

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1376-574: The glaciers that covered North America 11,000 years go. To escape the glaciers, northern species retreated south to find refuge in the southern Appalachians. When the glaciers retreated, many of these species remained along with the southern species that were native to the area. The diversity includes trees, mosses, millipedes and salamanders. The wildland contains parts of two special biological areas, Apple Orchard Mountain and Camping Ridge. Special biological areas have large biological diversity with rare fauna and significant forest communities. There

1419-686: The late Precambrian. One of the major river systems draining Virginia, the James River has formed large fluvial landscapes within the physiographic provinces of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians , the Blue Ridge Mountains , the Piedmont , and the Atlantic coastal plain . Water and sediments, collected from the large watershed of the James, are transported across the grain of the rock-controlled Ridge-and-Valley and Blue-Ridge provinces to downstream valleys now containing

1462-451: The negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas . The White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain wildland was not included in the inventoried roadless areas, and therefore not protected from possible road construction and timber sales. To stop illegal motorized use, in 2010 the Forest Service blocked access to hill climbs in the area around Overstreet Creek. Two small areas on both sides of

1505-546: The point that by 1922 foresters were salvaging the tree before its destruction by the blight. Pulpwood and extractwood contractors cut about 200,000 cords of wood on the Glenwood land between 1930 and 1950. The district sold almost 75,000 million board feet of chestnut in its first 38 years, and by 1951 only an estimated 4400 million board feet remained in the district. Other clusters of the Wilderness Society's "Mountain Treasures" in

1548-519: The ranger’s district office is 1.5 miles south of Natural Bridge. The Appalachian Trail extends for 2185 miles from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. A 43 mile section of the trail passes through the cluster from its crossing of the James River on the north to VA 43 on the south. The route is indicated by a red-dashed line on the map of the cluster on this page. A high resolution map of

1591-623: The ridge near the summit of Terrapin Mountain were burned in the Terrapin Mountain Fire of April 2010. Nearby wilderness areas and wildlands recognized as one of Virginia's "Mountain Treasures" by the Wilderness Society 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

1634-547: The signature of the evolution of the landscape in the river's watershed over millions of years. Beginning at the junction of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers in the Allegheny Mountains of western Virginia, the James River flows for about 340 miles (550 km) to Chesapeake Bay , where it has become 5 miles (8 km) wide. The course of the river was formed over hundreds of millions of years as it followed faults in

1677-411: The topographic maps for the northern half of the Jefferson National Forest is in the gallery below. The habitat of the southern Appalachians is rich in its biological diversity with nearly 10,000 species, some not found anywhere else. The great diversity is related to the many ridges and valleys which form isolated communities in which species evolve separately from one another. The region lies south of

1720-653: The way. Recreation areas in the Glenwood District include Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area, a campground 8 miles south of Natural Bridge, Middle Creek Picnic Area, about 7 miles west of Buchanan, North Creek Campground, about seven miles from Buchanan, and the Locher Tract, a primitive picnic area about seven miles east of Natural Bridge. The Glenwood Information Center is in Natural Bridge, Virginia and

1763-759: Was established in the George Washington National Forest near Luray, Virginia. It is now the site of the Camp Roosevelt Recreation Area. In 2018–2019, protests occurred near Peters Mountain to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline . The 303-mile pipeline would transport natural gas through the Jefferson National Forest and cross the Appalachian Trail . In 2023 a small plane carrying four people strayed into restricted Washington, D.C., airspace. Because of this,

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1806-524: 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 combined forest is administered from its headquarters in Roanoke , Virginia . The Forests' vast and mountainous terrain harbors

1849-410: Was passed in 1936, the highway was finished 51 years later in 1987. The highway, administered by the National Park Service, is closed when snow and ice create driving hazards. To maintain the rural views along the road, the National Park Service works with landowners of adjacent property and coalitions of citizens and state organizations to maintain visual guidelines. Support groups include Friends of

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