Little River Proposed Wilderness
Approximate Size: 12,490 acres
Location: Augusta County, North River Ranger District
Topos: Palo Alto, Stokesville, Reddish Knob, West Augusta
Little River is the heart of the Shenandoah Mountain area and serves as an exceptional candidate for Wilderness designation. Given its size and isolation from human influence, this area is a productive haven for black bear and many species of birds and wildflowers, and it provides exceptional opportunities for primitive recreation.
The proposal includes the entire Little River watershed, extending from Reddish Knob at nearly 4,300 feet in elevation down to Hearthstone Lake, and the entire Middle Mountain area. The total acreage of the area is 12,490. The proposed Wilderness area lies within a boundary formed by Timber Ridge Trail, Hearthstone Ridge Trail, Chestnut Ridge Trail, Little Bald Mountain Road, Forest Road 101, and several tracts of private land on the west side of Forest Road 101. The Wilderness boundary would be set back from FR95 and the private land to provide a buffer and allow space for construction of a new connector trail between Hearthstone Ridge Trail and Chestnut Ridge Trail. The proposed Wilderness boundary excludes Hearthstone Lake.
Some trails in the Little River area are very popular with mountain bikers; these boundaries will provide strong protection for the core areas of Little River and Middle Mountain, while allowing mountain biking to continue on all trails except Buck Mountain Trail and Big Ridge (Grooms Ridge) trail. The remainder of the Little River Special Management Area would be protected as part of the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area. No access roads would be closed or affected by this proposal.
A number of interesting amphibia inhabit the area, including the Jefferson Salamander, a large salamander indigenous to these mountains, the Red-backed Salamander, the Pickerel Frog, and the Red-spotted Newt. Little River is a designated Native Trout Stream.
The area is served by a good network of trails, including the remote Buck Mountain Trail which traverses through beautiful flat-land hardwoods for two miles along Little River west of Hearthstone Lake, and then sharply ascends Buck Mountain to the top of the ridge near Little Bald Knob.
Location: Augusta County, North River Ranger District
Topos: Palo Alto, Stokesville, Reddish Knob, West Augusta
Little River is the heart of the Shenandoah Mountain area and serves as an exceptional candidate for Wilderness designation. Given its size and isolation from human influence, this area is a productive haven for black bear and many species of birds and wildflowers, and it provides exceptional opportunities for primitive recreation.
The proposal includes the entire Little River watershed, extending from Reddish Knob at nearly 4,300 feet in elevation down to Hearthstone Lake, and the entire Middle Mountain area. The total acreage of the area is 12,490. The proposed Wilderness area lies within a boundary formed by Timber Ridge Trail, Hearthstone Ridge Trail, Chestnut Ridge Trail, Little Bald Mountain Road, Forest Road 101, and several tracts of private land on the west side of Forest Road 101. The Wilderness boundary would be set back from FR95 and the private land to provide a buffer and allow space for construction of a new connector trail between Hearthstone Ridge Trail and Chestnut Ridge Trail. The proposed Wilderness boundary excludes Hearthstone Lake.
Some trails in the Little River area are very popular with mountain bikers; these boundaries will provide strong protection for the core areas of Little River and Middle Mountain, while allowing mountain biking to continue on all trails except Buck Mountain Trail and Big Ridge (Grooms Ridge) trail. The remainder of the Little River Special Management Area would be protected as part of the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area. No access roads would be closed or affected by this proposal.
A number of interesting amphibia inhabit the area, including the Jefferson Salamander, a large salamander indigenous to these mountains, the Red-backed Salamander, the Pickerel Frog, and the Red-spotted Newt. Little River is a designated Native Trout Stream.
The area is served by a good network of trails, including the remote Buck Mountain Trail which traverses through beautiful flat-land hardwoods for two miles along Little River west of Hearthstone Lake, and then sharply ascends Buck Mountain to the top of the ridge near Little Bald Knob.
