The James River Face Wilderness is an area of ​​8,907 acres located near Natural Bridge, Virginia protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its current natural state. As part of the National Forest Land Conservation System, it helps preserve the various forms of natural life and contribute to the diversity of plant and animal genes. More than half of the ecosystems in the United States exist in the prescribed wilderness.
The desert contains many contrasting features. The short distance separates the burning hillsides, rigid rocks and dry forests on one side and very rich vegetation at the top of Blue Ridge on the other.
This area is part of the Glenwood Cluster .
Video James River Face Wilderness
Location and access
James River Face Wilderness is located in Jefferson National Forest, a few miles from Natural Bridge Station, Virginia. It is bordered in the northeast by the James River, west by Forest Service Road 35, and south by the Blue Ridge Parkway.
There are several well maintained trails that provide access to the wilderness. Among others are:
- Appalachian Trail, 9.9 miles, 2400 feet elevation change, trailhead at US 130 and FS 35
- Balcony Falls Trail, 4.1 miles, 1850 feet elevation change, trailhead at FS 3093
- Belfast Trail, 2.8 miles, altitude of 1700 feet, trailhead on FS 35
- Gunter Ridge Trail, 8.1 miles, altitude 1560 feet change, trailhead FS 54
- Piney Ridge Trail, 3.5 miles, 1720 feet altitude change, trailhead on FS 54
- Sulfur Springs Trail, 2.7 miles, 1050 feet elevation elevation, trailhead on FS 35
Maps James River Face Wilderness
Natural history
Forest cover covers oak wood and various types of yellow pine. Red oak trees and northern hickories found near Highcock Knob. The desert has sheltered bays with white oaks, bass and poplar tulips. Old growth trees are found in the watershed of Matt's Creek and along the James River where the Appalachian Trail goes into Matt's Creek drainage.
The Allegheny woodrat has been observed in the wilderness on the rock outcrop from Devils Marbleyard. The woodrat population decreases. Among the hypotheses considered for decline are the loss of food resources, habitat loss and the deaths of parasites introduced by the raccoons.
The lower altitude of the desert has a long history of mineral development and logging. This area has a former Glenwood Estate owned by Francis T. Anderson, who is considered one of the best kingdoms in West Virginia. Anderson operates Glenwood Iron Stove, a company that needs thousands of hectares of wood to produce charcoal used in iron furnaces. The area was stripped of its timber, and then the operators returned to the second and third logging.
Topography
The desert has a complex topography with Highcock Knob peaks looming at an altitude of 3100 feet above the James River at 650 feet, Devils Marbleyard rock outcrops consisting of school-size quartzite rocks, numerous tributaries with rapid descents and waterfalls, and ridges high Piney Ridge in the east and Gunter Ridge to the west.
Management
The Wilderness was adopted by the congress in 1975 and administered by the US Forest Service as part of the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District at George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. There are several rules to maintain the integrity of the region. For example, motorized appliances, motor vehicles, and mountain bikes are prohibited, group sizes are limited to ten people, and restrictions are placed on campsites.
The Wilderness is being monitored for clean air, with particular attention to visibility, water quality and vegetation. Sulfur compounds produce fog reducing visibility, acidification of streams and leaching of nutrients from the soil, and ozone creates visible injuries on plant leaves that reduce plant growth. Pollutants are made by many sources in large geographical areas.
Wildlands Around
The nearest wilderness and wilderness areas recognized as one of Virginia's "Mountain Treasures" by the Wilderness Society are:
- Wild Ridge Wilderness
- James River Face Wilderness Additionally
- Oak Ridge-White Terrapin Mountain
- North Creek (conservation area)
- Mount Wilson
- Cove Mountain
See also
- The Desert
- Wilderness Act East
References
External links
- Wilderness.net - U.S. National Wildlife Conservation Map, access date: January 17, 2017
- Fact sheets for James River Face Wilderness, access date: January 17, 2017
- Parking Area and Appalachian Trail Access at James River Face Area, access date: January 17, 2017
- Line Map on James Face Wilderness River, access date: January 17, 2017
- Management Rules for Wilderness, access date: January 7, 2017
- George Washington & amp; Jefferson National Forest, access date: January 20, 2017
- Wilderness Society, access date: January 8, 2017
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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