Welcome to Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Current
Conditions
Go here for the most
up-to-date information
on closures, safety alerts, fires, advisories and
restrictions.
ONGOING CHANGES IN PUBLIC ACCESS & SERVICES
Update (7/20/08) Overnight parking permits are now being issued again. You will need to come in to our office during our regular business hours to obtain a permit. There is no charge. You may also still park in the pull-off across from the gate on State Route 16.
For
general information on the George Washington & Jefferson National
Forests, please visit their web
site.
Overview - A description of the NRA that
will introduce you to many of its features.
Learn more about William B. Rogers,
the man for whom the mountain is named.
Volunteer Opportunities
Adopt-a-Trail - Learn about
adopting (and maintaining) a trail in the NRA.
Internships - Details of
internships available in the NRA.
Application Form - Print
this pdf form to apply as an NRA volunteer
Plans and Reports
The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area conducted a nine-step
planning process for the Mount Rogers High Country called Limits
of Acceptable Change (LAC). An overview of the process and the
results are available on the LAC web page.
Ranger District Report - Read the NRA's report to the Forest Service.
Schedule of Proposed Actions - Find out about proposed actions.
Prescribed
Burning
The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area uses prescribed
burning to reduce fire fuels and provide open areas and wildlife
clearings.
Special
Use Authorization
The Forest Service issues Special Use Authorizations to permit
and regulate a variety of activities within the NRA. These activities
might be things such as an outfitting and guide service or recreation
events such as a one day bike ride or one day horse ride. Details
of the application process are provided on the Special
Use page.
About Our Web Pages
The US Forest Service is committed to making its web sites accessible
to all customers and employees. These pages are undergoing review
and redesign as necessary. Thank you for your patience through this
process.
If you find errors or broken links on the NRA pages, please send
us an email with the details.
Overview
The NRA consists of three distinct regions:
West End
The West End of the Mount Rogers NRA includes the famous Virginia
Creeper Trail, outstanding trout fishing in Whitetop Laurel, and
picturesque Beartree Lake. The NRA's largest campground, Beartree,
is a great family campground and close to all west end activities.
Damascus, the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail, is a trail
hub as four major trails go through the town: Virginia Creeper,
Appalachian Trail, Iron Mountain, and Daniel Boone Heritage Trail.
East End
Are
you looking for solitude? The family campgrounds at Comers Rock
and Raven Cliff are lightly used and have several nice trails nearby.
The Comers Rock Overlook has outstanding views and the Raven Cliff
Furnace Trail takes you to a fascinating iron ore furnace from the
early 1800's. Looking for something more developed? Two rental
cabins with outstanding views are located on the East End. The East
End also has several horse trails and horse camps for the equestrian.
Hussy Mountain and Collins Cove Horse Camps provide camping areas
close to the famous Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.
High Country
The heart of the NRA, the high country contains over 25,000 acres
of the highest lands in Virginia. The Mount Rogers NRA manages approximately
20,000 acres of the high country and 5,000 acres are managed by
Grayson Highlands State Park. The high country consists of the following
areas:
Lewis Fork Wilderness & Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
Combined, these two federally designated wildernesses total about
10,000 acres of primitive backcountry. These two areas are forested
in northern hardwoods with red spruce and Fraser Fir at the highest
elevations.
Crest Zone
The open areas on Brier Ridge, Cabin Ridge, Wilburn Ridge, Stone
Mountain, and Pine Mountain are commonly called the Crest Zone and
total about 2,000 acres. Views are spectacular, with rocky ridges
and grassy areas. The area was once heavily forested, but over logging
by private companies during the early 1900's, and wildfire
created the balds. Grazing by domestic livestock kept them open.
The US Forest Service acquired the property during the 1960's.
Today the balds are kept open through prescribed burning and regulated
cattle grazing by private farmers who lease grazing rights. Ponies-
Two herds of free-roaming ponies make their home in the high country.
A private association manages them. One herd is in Grayson Highlands
State Park, and the other lives within the Crest Zone of the Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area. Enjoy the ponies, but do not feed
them or harass them. In the fall, some of the ponies are auctioned
at the Grayson Highlands State Park Fall Festival to manage the
population.
Trails
There are over 400 miles of designated trails on the Mount Rogers
National Recreation Area. Trails range from primitive single-track
to old logging roads and railroad grades. Some are for foot only,
others allow horse and/or bicycle use. Plan your trip carefully
if you are looking for solitude. Trails in the high country as well
as the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trail are popular destinations,
particularly on weekends. Please be sure you use only those trails
open to your particular type of travel. Please note that trails
within wildernesses are always primitive with few or no signs or
blazes and may be difficult to follow in places. Before heading
into wilderness, you should be competent with both map and compass.
Any type of motorized or wheeled vehicles (including bicycles and
any type of wheeled cart) is prohibited in wilderness, but horses
are allowed on designated trails.
Adopt-a-Trail - Learn about
adopting (and maintaining) a trail in the NRA.
Internships - Details of internships
available in the NRA.
Application Form - Print
this pdf form to apply as an NRA volunteer
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