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Virginia Wilderness: Keeping It Like It Is
Virginia Wilderness: Keeping It Like It Is: Background
Recreation Opportunities in Wilderness Areas
Located near southwestern Virginia’s growing population centers, the new Wilderness and National Scenic Areas will provide abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Recreational activities allowed in these unspoiled forests include hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, picnicking, backpacking, bird watching, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, spelunking, and rock-climbing, among others.
Broad Support for Wilderness
The Virginia Ridge and Valley Act has won support from a wide spectrum of organizations, including the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Garden Club of Virginia, the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited, and Scenic America, among others. In addition, each area proposed for protection has been endorsed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Board of Supervisors of the county where it’s located.
Proposed Wilderness Areas:
- Stone Mountain―3,270 acres, Lee County
- Raccoon Branch—4,223 acres, Smyth County
- Brush Mountain―4,794 acres, Montgomery County
- Brush Mountain East—3,743 acres, Craig County
- Garden Mountain―3,291 acres, Bland County
- Hunting Camp Creek—8,470 acres, Bland County
Proposed Wilderness Study Area:
- Lynn Camp Creek―3,226 acres, in Bland County
Proposed National Scenic Areas:
- Seng Mountain―5192 acres, Smyth County
- Bear Creek—5,128 acres, Smyth County
Proposed additions to existing Wilderness Areas:
- Mountain Lake Wilderness Area―5,476 acres, Giles and Craig counties
- Lewis Fork Wilderness Area—308 acres, Smyth and Grayson counties
- Little Wilson Creek Wilderness Area―1,845 acres, Grayson County
- Shawvers Run Wilderness Area—2,219 acres, Craig County
- Peters Mountain Wilderness Area―1,203 acres, Giles County
- Kimberling Creek Wilderness Area—612 acres, Bland County