Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Part of Jefferson National Forest
National Recreation Area
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, with Mount Rogers in the background
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Grayson, Smyth, Washington, Wythe, Carroll
Location	Elk Garden
- elevation	4,475 ft (1,364 m)
- coordinates	36°38′46″N 81°34′58″W
Highest point	Mount Rogers
- location	southwest of Troutdale
- elevation	5,729 ft (1,746.2 m)
- coordinates	36°39′35″N 81°32′41″W
Area	154,816 acres (62,651.8 ha)
Established	1966-05-31
Management	George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
Owner	US Forest Service
IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Nearest city	Abingdon, Virginia
Location of Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia
Wikimedia Commons: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Website: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area (NRA) located in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. The centerpiece of the recreation area is Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state of Virginia with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet (1746 m). 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.

Grayson Highlands State Park adjoins the recreation area, near Mount Rogers, and the park provides the most well known access to the NRA.

Hiking

There are nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) of hiking trails within Mount Rogers NRA making it one of the premier hiking hotspots in the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the trails in Mount Rogers NRA include:

• A 78 mile (124.8 kilometer) segment of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail itself does not reach the summit of Mount Rogers but rather passes about a half mile below it. A short spur trail leads hikers to the summit. As along the entire Appalachian Trail, there are several shelters for thru-hikers along this section of the trail.

• The Virginia Creeper Trail

• The shortest route to the summit of Mount Rogers is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) hike from either Grayson Highlands State Park or from State Route 600 at Elk Garden.

Wilderness

There are three federally designated wilderness areas in Mount Rogers NRA:

• Lewis Fork Wilderness
• Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
• Raccoon Branch Wilderness

Together, these three wilderness areas comprise about 14,000 acres of forest.

Other activities

• Camping: There are seven campgrounds, four horse camps, and two rental cabins in the recreation area.
• Horseback riding
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Mountain biking

External links

• Mount Rogers National Recreation Area official site