George Washington and Jefferson National Forest Reopens Some Areas Closed Due to Hurricane Helene

George Washington and Jefferson National Forest Reopens Some Areas Closed Due to Hurricane Helene

Clinch Ranger District Area Openings in Wise, Scott, Lee, Dickenson (VA), Pike and Letcher (KY) counties include:

·      all roads and trails*

·      High Knob Observation Tower

·      Devils Fork Trail Head

·      Devils Fork Bathtub

·      Hanging Rock Picnic Site

·      Lake Keokee Picnic Site

·      Phillips Lake Picnic Site

·      Pound Launch Boating Site

·      Phillips Creek Launch Boating Site

·      Wise Launch Boating Site

*The closure remains in effect for:

Trails

·      Forest Service Trail #216, Guest River Gorge Trail past the first bridge, closed due to safety concerns until further condition assessment can be completed

·      Forest Service Trail #211, Bark Camp Lake Trail; closed due to safety concerns until further condition assessment can be completed

·      Forest Service Trail #401, Chief Benge Scout Trail; closed due to safety concerns until further condition assessment can be completed

Recreation Areas and Campgrounds

·      Flatwood Day Use Recreation Area

·      Cave Springs Campground

·      Bark Camp Campground and Day Use Area

·      Birch Knob Observation Site

·      Cane Patch Campground

·      High Knob Campground and Day Use Area

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Openings in Wythe and Carroll Counties and in Grayson County, but only those areas east of VA Hwy 16 south of Interstate 81. Forest Service roads in Grayson County west of Hwy 16 are still being cleared and are subject to VA DoT road closures.

Opening:

·      Stony Fork Campground and Cabin

·      Collins Cove Horse Camp

·      Hussy Mountain Horse Camp

·      Raven Cliff Campground

·      Comers Rock Campground

·      Hale Lake

·      Gullion Fork Fishing Ponds

·      Wythe Shooting Range

Exceptions are:

·      Forest Service Trail #4616 (Raven Cliff Furnace Trail, hikers only), accessed from Raven Cliff Recreation Area, is closed indefinitely due to a washed-out bridge

·      Forest Service Road 14 (Camp Road) is closed from its eastern terminus in Noble Furnace to a point east of Hussy Mountain Horse Camp, due to a washed-out culvert. The road is barricaded. Forest Service Road 14 will be open from Federal Highway 21, south of Speedwell, to Hussy Mountain Horse Camp. Horse trailers will not be able to turn around if they attempt to access Hussy Mountain Horse Camp from the east at Noble Furnace.

“Our initial response efforts have been clearing roads and assessing flood damage,” said Forest Supervisor Job Timm. “Our focus has been on providing access to private residents and utility infrastructure. We recognize how important recreational activities are to residents. Before we reopened areas, we assessed them for damages and safety. We will continue to work with partners at the federal, state and local levels, with industry, and with outside groups to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene.”

The public is advised to use caution on roads and trails. Watch for utility trucks and other recovery efforts.

For more information on Hurricane Helene closures, call the Southern Region Hurricane Hotline (404)-939-4485 or visit the forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/gwj.