Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mount Rogers National Recreation Area | |
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| IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) | |
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| Location: | Virginia, USA |
| Nearest city: | Marion, Virginia |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 154,816 acres (626.52 km²) |
| Established: | May 31, 1966 |
| Governing body: | United States Forest Service |
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. The centerpiece of the recreation area is Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state of Virginia with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet (1746 meters). Most of the recreation area is under the jurisdiction of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest except for a 5,000 acre (20.23 km²) section near Mount Rogers that is managed by Grayson Highlands State Park. The recreation area was established by an act of Congress on May 31, 1966.
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[edit] Hiking
There are nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) of hiking trails within Mount Rogers NRA making it one of the premier hiking hotspots in the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the trails in Mount Rogers NRA include:
- A 78 mile (124.8 kilometer) segment of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail itself does not reach the summit of Mount Rogers but rather passes about a half mile below it. A short spur trail leads hikers to the summit. As along the entire Appalachian Trail, there are several shelters for thru-hikers along this section of the trail.
- The shortest route to the summit of Mount Rogers is a 4.5 mile (7.2 kilometer) hike from either Grayson Highlands State Park or from State Route 600 at Elk Garden.
[edit] Wilderness
There are two federally designated wilderness areas in Mount Rogers NRA:
- Lewis Fork Wilderness
- Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
Together, these two wilderness areas comprise about 10,000 acres (40.47 km²) of forest.
[edit] Other activities
- Camping: There are seven campgrounds, four horse camps, and two rental cabins in the recreation area.
- Horseback riding
- Hunting
- Fishing
- Mountain biking
[edit] External links
| National Recreation Areas of the United States Administered by the National Park Service |
