Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests stretch along the ruggedly beautiful Appalachian Mountains, extending from one end of Virginia to the other and even crossing into parts of West Virginia and Kentucky. Whether you are driving a back-country road, enjoying our glorious fall colors, using binoculars to spot colorful neo-tropical birds, or savoring the peacefulness of wilderness, remember that national forests are special places. The George Washington National Forest in west central Virginia and the Jefferson National Forest in southwest Virginia were administratively combined in 1995 to form the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. The two national forests contain nearly 1.8 million acres; one of the largest blocks of public land in the eastern United States. The forests include 1,664,110 acres in Virginia, 123,629 acres in West Virginia, and 961 acres in Kentucky. The forest headquarters is the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Roanoke, Virginia. The forests include the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and seven Ranger Districts.