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George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
U.S. National Forests
White Rocks Little Sluice Mountain GWNF.jpg
White Rocks on Little Sluice Mountain in George Washington National Forest.
Country United States
States Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia
Ranger Districts Clinch, Eastern Divide, Glenwood-Pedlar, James River, Lee, Mount Rogers, North River, Warm Springs
Coordinates 38°30′0″N 79°0′0″W / 38.50000°N 79.00000°W / 38.50000; -79.00000Coordinates: 38°30′0″N 79°0′0″W / 38.50000°N 79.00000°W / 38.50000; -79.00000
Highest point Mount Rogers
 - location Grayson and Smyth Counties, VA
 - elevation 5,729 ft (1,746.2 m)
 - coordinates 36°39′35″N 81°3′41″W / 36.65972°N 81.06139°W / 36.65972; -81.06139
Lowest point South Fork Shenandoah River
 - location southwest of Front Royal, VA
 - elevation 513 ft (156.4 m)
 - coordinates 38°52′31″N 78°18′34″W / 38.87528°N 78.30944°W / 38.87528; -78.30944
Area 1,790,933 acres (724,764.9 ha)
Established 1995
 - George Washington NF 1918-05-16
 - Jefferson NF 1936-04-21
Owner US Forest Service
IUCN category VI - Managed Resource Protected Area
Headquarters Roanoke, Virginia
Va nationalforests.png
Location of George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
Website: George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are U.S. National Forests that combine to form one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. They cover 1.8 million acres (7,300 km2) of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Approximately 1 million acres (4,000 km2) of the forest are remote and undeveloped and 139,461 acres (564 km2) have been designated as wilderness areas, which eliminates 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 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 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 km2) 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.


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