The 1.1-million acre George Washington National Forest contains many of the largest unfragmented roadless areas remaining in the eastern United States. Situated on the southern end of the Allegheny Mountain range, the GW provides the western border to the entire Shenandoah Valley. The mountains dramatically rise up from the Valley floor to over 4,000 feet. The dry, steep, remote ridges provide prime habitat for black bear, migratory song birds, bobcat, and rare bats and salamanders, along with pockets of beautiful old-growth forest and little-seen flora. Less than two hours from Washington, DC, the GW is an oasis for back-country recreation such as camping, fishing, hunting, hiking and backpacking, mountain biking, rock-climbing, and bird-watching.
Threats to the GW are many, including industrial oil and gas leases and other energy development, logging and road-building, and motorized recreation. Less than 5% of the GWNF is currently preserved as Wilderness; certainly, it deserves better.
In conjunction with the US Forest Service's current revision of the GW Management Plan, Virginia Wilderness Committee recognizes several key areas in the GW that are outstanding candidates for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Click here to see all our GW recommendations to the Forest Service.
Our Shenandoah Mountain Proposal campaign recommends a National Scenic Area for a large portion of Shenandoah Mountain between Rt. 250 and Rt. 33 in Augusta, Rockingham, and Highland Counties, with pockets of Wilderness in Bald Ridge, Lynn Hollow, Little River, and Skidmore Fork. Contact us for a color brochure and/or map. View map. (Map was created with ESRI ArcGIS software provided by a generous grant; please do not modify, copy or distribute.)