Gaudineer Scenic Area
| Gaudineer Scenic Area | |
| Part of Monongahela National Forest | |
| National Natural Landmark | |
 Hiking trail in Gaudineer Scenic Area.
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| Country | United States |
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| State | West Virginia |
| County | Pocahontas, Randolph |
| Elevation | 3,996 ft (1,218.0 m) |
| Coordinates | 38°37′41″N 79°50′33″W / 38.62806°N 79.84250°WCoordinates: 38°37′41″N 79°50′33″W / 38.62806°N 79.84250°W |
| Area | 140 acres (56.7 ha) |
| Established | October 1964 |
| Management | Monongahela National Forest |
| Owner | USDA Forest Service |
| Easiest access |
drive-up via  FR 27 |
| Topo map | USGS Durbin |
| Nearest city | Durbin, West Virginia |
  Location of Gaudineer Scenic Area in West Virginia
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| Website: Gaudineer Scenic Area | |
The Gaudineer Scenic Area (GSA) is a scenic area and National Natural Landmark in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). It is situated just north of Gaudineer Knob of Shavers Mountain on the border of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia, USA, about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of the town of Durbin.
The GSA is located in the Greenbrier Ranger District of the MNF. It lies near the crest of Shavers Mountain immediately north of Gaudineer Knob, the mountain's highest peak at 4,432 feet (1,351 m). The Scenic Area itself is at about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). Its total land area is 140 acres (570,000 m2) and approximately 50 acres (200,000 m2) of the area is classified as virgin red spruce forest. Trees in this section range up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) in diameter at chest height and are upwards of 300 years old. The remaining 90 acres (360,000 m2) have only been subjected to selective timber harvesting, mostly for the task of removing broken limbs. The GSA contains—in addition to red spruce—excellent first and second-growth specimens of several native hardwoods, including red maple, sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech. Forest Service authorities estimate the total wood volume of the 140-acre (570,000 m2) tract at 1,500,000 board feet (3,500 m3).
The area surrounding the GSA was thoroughly clear-cut between about 1900 and 1920 by lumbermen of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, based at Cass. Maurice Brooks described the circumstances whereby a portion of the virgin forest was spared in his classic book on Appalachian natural history:
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Wikipedia