Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Part of Jefferson National Forest
National Recreation Area
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, with Mount Rogers in the background
Country	United States
State	Virginia
Counties	Grayson, Smyth, Washington
Location	Elk Garden
- elevation	4,475 ft (1,364 m)
- coordinates	36°38′46″N 81°34′58″W / 36.64611, -81.58278
Highest point	Mount Rogers
- location	southwest of Troutdale
- elevation	5,729 ft (1,746.2 m)
- coordinates	36°39′35″N 81°32′41″W / 36.65972, -81.54472
Area	154,816 acres (62,651.8 ha)
Established	1966-05-31
Management	George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
Owner	USDA Forest Service
IUCN category	V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Nearest city	Abingdon, Virginia
Location of Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia
Website: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. The centerpiece of the recreation area is Mount Rogers, the highest point in the state of Virginia with a summit elevation of 5,729 feet (1746 m). Most of the recreation area is under the jurisdiction of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, except for a 5,000 acre (20.23 km²) section near Mount Rogers that is managed by Grayson Highlands State Park. The recreation area was established by an act of the United States Congress on May 31, 1966.

Hiking

There are nearly 500 miles (800 kilometers) of hiking trails within Mount Rogers NRA making it one of the premier hiking hotspots in the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the trails in Mount Rogers NRA include:

• A 78 mile (124.8 kilometer) segment of the Appalachian Trail. The Appalachian Trail itself does not reach the summit of Mount Rogers but rather passes about a half mile below it. A short spur trail leads hikers to the summit. As along the entire Appalachian Trail, there are several shelters for thru-hikers along this section of the trail.

• The Virginia Creeper Trail

• The shortest route to the summit of Mount Rogers is a 4.5 mile (7.2 kilometer) hike from either Grayson Highlands State Park or from State Route 600 at Elk Garden.

Wilderness

There are two federally designated wilderness areas in Mount Rogers NRA:

• Lewis Fork Wilderness
• Little Wilson Creek Wilderness

Together, these two wilderness areas comprise about 10,000 acres (40.47 km²) of forest.

Other activities

• Camping: There are seven campgrounds, four horse camps, and two rental cabins in the recreation area.
• Horseback riding
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Mountain biking

External links

• Mount Rogers National Recreation Area official site