Mount Rogers Cluster

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Mount Rogers Cluster
2017-05-16 12 39 22 View northwest across a field from the Appalachian Trail in Elk Garden, within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area along the border of Grayson County, Virginia and Smyth County, Virginia.jpg
Mount Rogers High Country
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Location of Mount Rogers Cluster in Virginia
Coordinates 36°39′36″N81°32′40″W / 36.66000°N 81.54444°W / 36.66000; -81.54444 Coordinates: 36°39′36″N81°32′40″W / 36.66000°N 81.54444°W / 36.66000; -81.54444

The Mount Rogers Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. The heart of the region is Mount Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia. [1] The area extends over the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and into part of the Cherokee National Forest. [2]

Contents

With elevations above 5000 feet, the area is unlike any other in Virginia. The high elevations have a Canadian-type climate with a spruce-fir remnant forest and high timbered ridges opening to grassy alpine meadows similar to The Montana Big Sky country. Many trails offer a summer escape from nearby humid lowlands. [3]

Description

The Mount Rogers Wilderness Cluster contains wilderness areas, a National Scenic Area and wildlands recognized by the Wilderness Society as "Mountain Treasures", areas that are worthy of protection from logging and road construction. [2] All of the areas are at least partially within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area with some extending into the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee.

Sunset view from Mount Rogers Mount Rogers view.jpg
Sunset view from Mount Rogers

The areas in the cluster are:

Location and access

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Mount Rogers National Recreation Area LOC 82696165.jpg
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

The cluster can be accessed from the south and east by US 58, on the north from Va 16 on the north, and on the east Va 94. A visitor center on Va 16 has maps and information about the area. The nearest towns are Marion, 7 miles north of the visitor center, and Damascus, near the Virginia-Tennessee border. [3]

Roads and trails are given on National Geographic Maps 786 (Mount Rogers)., [4] Map 318 (Mount Rogers High Country) [5] and Map 783 (South Holston and Watauga Lakes). [6] A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wild land's coordinates in the upper right of this page.

Biological significance

With elevations ranging from 2000 feet to 5700 feet, the area offers a contrast of deep forested areas and high mountain meadows kept open by burning, cattle grazing and feral ponies. There are nearly 160 different species of birds, as well as rare salamanders including the golden pygmy salamander. [3]

Geologic history

2017-05-16 09 29 11 Full 360-degree panorama from the northern rocky outcrop along the Wilburn Ridge Trail within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Grayson County, Virginia 2017-05-16 09 29 11 Full 360-degree panorama from the northern rocky outcrop along the Wilburn Ridge Trail within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Grayson County, Virginia.jpg
2017-05-16 09 29 11 Full 360-degree panorama from the northern rocky outcrop along the Wilburn Ridge Trail within the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Grayson County, Virginia

The bedrock beneath Mt Rogers is different from most other rocks in Virginia. The formation is divided into three sections—the oldest is made of basalt lava flows, some rhyolite, volcanic ash and sandstone indicating volcanic formation; the second oldest, about half of the total thickness, is made mainly of rhyolite with some basalt and sediments; and the youngest is mainly composed of sediments with some basalt and rhyolite. There are several explanations for the origins of these rocks with some geologists claiming that the rocks were formed elsewhere and transported along fault lines. [7]

Most of the area drains into the New River, the southernmost river on the American continent that flows from south to north cutting across the Appalachians into the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Some geologists have the New River as a successor to a larger river that drained the entire area to the west and east of Mount Rogers. With time, the Atlantic Ocean opened to create an Atlantic drainage capturing some of the headwaters of the New River's predecessor by a process known as stream capture. [7]

See also

Other clusters

Other clusters of the Wilderness Society's "Mountain Treasures" in the Jefferson National Forest (north to south):

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rogers</span> Highest point in Virginia, United States

Mount Rogers is the highest natural point in Virginia, United States, with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet (1,746 m) above mean sea level. The summit straddles the border of Grayson and Smyth Counties, Virginia, about 6.45 miles (10.38 km) WSW of Troutdale, Virginia. Most of the mountain is contained within the Lewis Fork Wilderness, while the entire area is part of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, which itself is a part of the Jefferson National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Washington and Jefferson National Forests</span> Pair of National Forests in the United States

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests 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 prohibits future development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rogers National Recreation Area</span>

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area (NRA) in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. It centerpiece is the Lewis Fork Wilderness containing Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state of Virginia with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet. The recreation area is under the jurisdiction of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The recreation area was established by an act of the United States Congress on May 31, 1966.

The Little Wilson Creek Wilderness is an area in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it is intended to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contribute to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Fork Wilderness</span>

The Lewis Fork Wilderness is an area in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it is intended to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contribute to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.

The Glenwood Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests recognized by The Wilderness Society for its rich biodiversity, scenery, wildflower displays, cold-water trout streams and horse trails. It offers a unique habitat for rare plants, salamanders and other rare species. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail traverse the area, giving ready access with views to the east of the Piedmont region and to the west of the Valley of Virginia.

Devil's Den-Ewing Mountain is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

Horse Heaven is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, United States, that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

Shaw Gap is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

Feathercamp is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Rogers Crest Zone</span>

Mount Rogers Crest Zone is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitetop Mountain (conservation area)</span> Protected area in Virginia, USA

Whitetop Mountain is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitetop Laurel</span>

Whitetop Laurel is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

Rogers Ridge, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia and the Cherokee National Forest of eastern Tennessee, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

London Bridge Branch, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia and the Cherokee National Forest of eastern Tennessee, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

Beaverdam Creek , a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia and the Cherokee National Forest of eastern Tennessee, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Creek Cluster</span> Protected natural area in Virginia, United States

The Craig Creek Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. The cluster contains wildlands and wilderness areas along Craig Creek, a 65-mile long creek with headwaters at the Brush Mountain Wilderness near Blacksburg.

The Barbours Creek-Shawvers Run Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique high elevation mountains, vistas, trout streams and wildlife habitat. With over 25,000 acres in a remote corner of the national forest, the cluster provides protection for black bear, clean water, backcountry hiking, and scenic beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinking Creek Valley Cluster</span> Protected natural area in Virginia, United States

The Sinking Creek Valley Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique recreational and scenic values as well as the importance of its watershed protection for Johns Creek and Craig Creek. Sinking Creek Valley is one of the most scenic valleys in Virginia.

The Kimberling Creek Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending along parts of Brushy and Hogback Mountains. Kimberling Creek, with headwaters in the cluster, flows into Big Walker Creek, a tributary of the New River.

References

  1. ↑ Bamford, Sherman (February 2013). A Review of the Virginia Mountain Treasures of the Jefferson National Forest. Blacksburg, Virginia: Sierra Club, OCLC: 893635467.
  2. 1 2 Virginia's Mountain Treasures, report issued by The Wilderness Society, May, 1999
  3. 1 2 3 Winegar, Deane and Garvey (1998). Highroad Guide to the Virginia Mountains . Marietta, Georgia: Longstreet Press, Inc. pp.  237-239. ISBN   1-56352-462-7.
  4. ↑ Mount Rogers (Trails Illustrated Hiking Maps, 786). Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society. 2001. ISBN   1-56695-313-8.
  5. ↑ Mount Rogers High Country (Trails Illustrated Maps, 318). Washington, D. C.: National Geographic. 2013. ISBN   978-1566956642.
  6. ↑ South Holston and Watauga Lake (Trails Illustrated Hiking Maps, 783). Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society. 2004.
  7. 1 2 Frye, Keith (1986). Roadside Geology of Virginia (First ed.). Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company. pp. 207–209. ISBN   0-87842-199-8.

Further reading

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