GWNF Resources Augusta
Download: augusta_forest_resources2.pdf (269.5KB)
Profile of National Forest Lands per County, Augusta County:
George Washington National Forest (GWNF) acres within the County; percentage the forest land represents of all land in the county:
- Augusta County total acres = 650,000 acres
- GWNF acres in Augusta County = 189,000 acre or 29.08 percent
Special resources like wilderness, roadless areas, natural heritage sites, creeks and rivers
- Developed Recreation Sites: Sherando Lake (swimming, picnicking, camping, hiking trails, fishing boating, drinking water, toilets); Todd Lake (boating access, camping fee, drinking water, fishing, hiking trails, picnicking, handicap facilities, bath house, swimming, trailer dump station, trailer space); Augusta Springs Wetlands (open to public with handicap accessible toilet and one-mile trail, benches, access to additional hiking trails); Braley Pond (no water, fishing, picnicking, toilets); North River (camping fee, fishing, picnic, hiking trails, vault toilets, trailer space); Mountain House (hiking trails, picnicking, toilets). Other Features: Wild Oak National Recreation Trail (trails), Mt. Torry Furnace (interpretative historic site, park, trail), Confederate Breastworks (historic site, toilet, trails), Elliot Knob Lookout (old fire tower inaccessible, trail to tower but not permitted to climb tower, no facilities), Hite Hollow Rifle Range (toilet, rifle and pistol range, no trails); Hearthstone Lake (fishing, parking); Elkhorn Lake (toilet, fishing); other features like waterfalls, rock cliffs, etc. Wilderness Areas: St. Mary’s and Ramsey’s Draft
- Roadless Areas: In Augusta County there are 68,203 acres of roadless areas on GWNF land. The roadless areas include: Crawford Mountain (9,779 acres); Elliott Knob (9,376 acres); Jerkemtight (6,311 acres); Kelley Mountain (7,600 acres); Little River (26,738 acres); Ramseys Draft Addition (7,507 acres); and St Marys Addition (892 acres).
- Licensed 4-wheel drive OHV roads – 10.2 miles
- Special Biological Interest Areas: 20,499 acres – 8 areas – Part of Shenandoah Mountain Crest; Big Levels; Clayton Mill Spring; Elliott Knob; Loves Run Ponds; Maple Flats Sinkhole Ponds; Pines Chapel Ponds; and Rubens Draft Shale Barren.
- Other Special Areas: Part of Little River Special Management Area Special Historic Interest Areas: – 2 areas – Confederate Breastworks and Mount Torry
- Miles of Trails: GWNF lands in Augusta County provide 221 miles of trails for horseback riding, hiking, and bird watching.
- Streams and rivers: on GWNF lands including but not limited to the following: Dogwood Hollow Branch, Spy Run, North Fork Spy Run, Sugartree Branch, St Marys River, North Elk, Back Creek, Toms Branch, Inch Branch, Mills Creek, Orebank Creek, Canada Run, Kenned Creek, Coles Run, Johns Run, Falling Rock Creek, Stony Run, Loves Run, Gum Spring Run, Deep Pond Run, Cold Springs Branch Run, Cellar Hollow tributary, Wallance Draft, Staples Hollow tributary, Taylor Hollow tributary, Kennedy Draft, Gum Lick Hollow, Archer Hollow, Hite Hollow, Liptrap Run, Montgomery Run, Daniel Run, Trout Br, Elliot Springs Run, Fall Branch, Chapin Draft, Falls Hollow, Buffalo Branch, Dry Branch, Red Oak Springs tributary, Mountain Run Branch, Whiskey Creek Run, McKittricke Branch, Wilson Hollow tributary, Stillhouse Run, Moffet, Freemason Run, North River, Wolfe Run, White Oak Draft, White Oak Run, Spruce Luck Branch, Stoutemyer, Mitchell Branch, Rattlesnake Run, Gum Corner Hollow tributary, Stony Lick, Wood Draft, Jehu Hollow tributary, Dowell’s Draft, South Fork of Little River, Calfpasture Creek, Braley Branch, Rock Lick, Left Fork Tim’s Draft, Right Fork Tim’s Draft, Frames Draft, Stony Lick, Hughhart Run, Tizzle Br, Charlie Lick Branch, McMannaway Run, Stillhouse Hollow tributary, Flat Run, Brand Run, Skidmore Fork, Barger Pond tributary, Spruce Luck Branch, Fish Hollow tributary, Jerkemtight Br, Big Run, Jerrys Run, Als Run, Ramseys Draft.
Water resources
Headwaters for many streams and rivers, including North River, Todd Lake, Little River Lake, Elkhorn Lake, Sherando Lake and Stark Pond lie on the forest. In addition, numerous springs and seeps are present on GWNF lands including: Cold Springs in St Marys Wilderness Area, Chestnut Flat Springs, Buffalo Spring, Red Oak Spring, Hiner Spring, Phillips Springs and Rock Spring.Miles of trout streams within the forest in the county
There are 131.7 miles of trout streams on GWNF land in Augusta County.Hunting in the GWNF lands in the county
Between 1972 and 2007, a total of 1,760 bear were harvested on public lands in Augusta County. The annual average black bear harvest in Augusta, based on recent 10 years harvest reported is 85 bear per year. Turkey hunting on GWNF land in Augusta County had a 10-year average spring gobbler harvest of 111, or 0.3 killed per square mile of GWNF land. The 2007 deer kill (total of male, female, fawns) on the GWNF in Augusta County was approximately 900. The five-year annual average total deer harvest is 967 deer.Eco-tourism industry in county:
(A variety of outfitting stores for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching, OHV/ATVs, and mountain biking exist in the county. These promote public use of the GWNF lands. Outfitting stores in the county are listed below, yet are not all-inclusive of such stores in the area.)
Wilderness Adventures (540) 885-3200, Rockfish Gap Outfitters (540) 943-1461, Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike (540) 885-2668, Black Dog Bikes (540) 887-8700, Cycle-Recycle Co (540) 949-8973, North Mountain Outfitter Inc (540) 886-7768.
