Rogers Ridge

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”.[1][2]

Rogers Ridge
Location of the Rogers Ridge wildarea in Virginia
LocationVirginia, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates36°36′50″N 81°40′26″W
Area5,255 acres (21.27 km2)

High grassy ridges offer views of mountain ranges to the north and south; balds on Rogers Ridge are among the most extensive in the Southern Appalachians; and Gentry Creek has 30-foot waterfalls that cascade over high rock walls to clear pools below.[2] With few midstory trees, tall trees with lush ground vegetation combine to give the hiker an experience of a mystical, openwoods atmosphere.[1]

The area is part of the Mount Rogers Cluster.

Location and access

The area is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Virginia and Eastern Tennessee, about 2 miles east of Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee and 4 miles southwest of Konnarock, Virginia. It is bounded by Gentry Creek Rd. (Forest Road 123) on the south, private lands to the west and east, and Va 726 on the north.[3][4]

Trails into the area include:[4][5][6]

  • Gentry Creek Falls Trail, FS 51, 2.6 miles
  • Rogers Ridge Horse Trail, FS 192, 5.8 miles

Road access into the area is provided by Va 124.[4]

Boundary of the Rogers Ridge wildarea as identified by the Wilderness Society.[1][2]

The boundary of the wildland as determined by the Wilderness Society is shown in the adjacent map.[1] Additional roads and trails are given on National Geographic Maps 783 (Mount Rogers).[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.[7]

Beyond maintained trails, old logging roads can be used to explore the area. The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable.[8] Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Rogers Ridge wildarea is covered by USGS topographic map Grayson.[1]

Natural history

A variety of wildflowers include the rare Silverling, Robbins ragwort, Rock skullcap, Roan rattlesnake root, Fraser's sedge, Mountain bitter cress, Appalchian twayblade, Rosy twisted stalk and Minnie bush. The site contains mountain bogs and two stands of old growth forests.[2]

The last authenticated siting of an eastern cougar occurred here.[2]

The section of the area in the Cherokee National Forest has five streams with trout populations; Gentry Creek has rainbow trout and brook trout; Grindstone Branch has rainbow and brook; Cut Laurel Branch, rainbow and brook; Kate Branch, rainbow and brook; Richardson Branch, brook trout; and Whetstone Branch with brook trout. Brook trout is considered a native species.[3]

Valley Creek in the Virginia part of the area is recognized by Virginia for its water quality. Wild natural trout streams in Virginia are classified by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries by their water quality, with class i the highest and class iv the lowest.[9] Valley Creek is a class iii trout stream.[4]

Topography

With elevations ranging from 2600 feet in the lower drainages to 4880 feet, Rogers Ridge is a mountain ridge divided by small steep sideslope drainages.[3]

Forest Service management

The Forest Service has conducted a survey of their lands to determine the potential for wilderness designation. Wilderness designation provides a high degree of protection from development. The areas that were found suitable are referred to as inventoried roadless areas. Later a Roadless Rule was adopted that limited road construction in these areas. The rule provided some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas.[1] Rogers Ridge was inventoried in the roadless area review, and therefore protected from possible road construction and timber sales.[4]

The forest service classifies areas under their management by a recreational opportunity setting that informs visitors of the diverse range of opportunities available in the forest.[10] The area within the Jefferson National Forest has a “Scenic Area” prescription.[4]

The center of the area in the Cherokee National Forest has 3865 acres designated as the Rogers Ridge Scenic Area.[2] The remaining area is designated Remote Back-country-Few Roads.[4]

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References
  1. Virginia's Mountain Treasures, report issued by The Wilderness Society, May, 1999
  2. Tennessee's Mountain Treasures, report issued by The Wilderness Society, May, 1996
  3. Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Jefferson National Forest, Management Bulletin R8-MB 115E. Roanoke, Virginia: Jefferson National Forest, US Department of Agriculture. 2004. pp. C-204–C-208.
  4. Bamford, Sherman (February 2013). A Review of the Virginia Mountain Treasures of the Jefferson National Forest. Blacksburg, Virginia: Sierra Club, OCLC: 893635467. pp. 85–88.
  5. Mount Rogers (Trails Illustrated Hiking Maps, 786). Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society. 2001. ISBN 1-56695-313-8.
  6. South Holston and Watauga Lake (Trails Illustrated Hiking Maps, 783). Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society. 2004.
  7. "Geographical Information". Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  8. Sarvis, Will (2011). The Jefferson National Forest. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 1-57233-828-8.
  9. 9VAC25-260-370. Classification Column.: 9VAC25-260-370. Classification Column., accessdate: April 23, 2018
  10. "Recreation Opportunity Setting as a Management Tool" (PDF).

Further reading
  • Stephenson, Steven L., A Natural History of the Central Appalachians, 2013, West Virginia University Press, West Virginia, ISBN 978-1933202-68-6.
  • Davis, Donald Edward, Where There Are Mountains, An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians, 2000, University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. ISBN 0-8203-2125-7.
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