The Glenwood Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests recognized by The Wilderness Society for its rich biodiversity, scenery, wildflower displays, cold-water trout streams and horse trails. It offers a unique habitat for rare plants, salamanders and other rare species. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail traverse the area, giving ready access with views to the east of the Piedmont region and to the west of the Valley of Virginia.
Description
The region includes wilderness areas protected by Congressional action, inventoried wilderness, and uninventoried areas recognized by the Wilderness Society as worthy of protection from timbering and roads. A corridor along the Blue Ridge Parkway, managed by the National Park Service, and forest service land in the Glenwood Ranger District act as a buffer for the protected areas.
The following areas are in the cluster: James River Face Wilderness Thunder Ridge Wilderness James River Face Wilderness Addition White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain North Creek (conservation area) Wilson Mountain Cove Mountain
Location and access
Flanking the Blue Ridge Parkway, the region is south and east of the James River where the river turns east to cut through the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is 20 miles northwest of Roanoke, Virginia and about two miles southeast of Glasgow, Virginia. Interstate 81 parallels the area on the west and Va 122 on the east. The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway travelling through the cluster can be accessed from US 501 on the north and VA 43 on the south. Other roads in the area are shown on National Geographic Map 789, Lexington and Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway, completed in 1935, follows the mountain tops at an average elevation of 3000 feet, giving access to scenic overlooks and natural areas along the way.
Recreation areas in the Glenwood District include Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area, a campground 8 miles south of Natural Bridge, Middle Creek Picnic Area, about 7 miles west of Buchanan, North Creek Campground, about seven miles from Buchanan, and the Locher Tract, a primitive picnic area about seven miles east of Natural Bridge. The Glenwood Information Center is in Natural Bridge, Virginia and the ranger’s district office is 1.5 miles south of Natural Bridge.
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian Trail extends for 2185 miles from Mount Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia. A 43 mile section of the trail passes through the cluster from its crossing of the James River on the north to VA 43 on the south. The route is indicated by a red-dashed line on the map of the cluster on this page. A high resolution map of the cluster is obtained by selecting the icon in the lower right of the window, then clicking on the map. The map shows side trails and shelters along the trail.
The trail can be broken into the following sections, with a link to access and parking information: James River (US 501) to Petite Gap (USFS 35), 9 miles.
Petites Gap (USFS 35) to Parkers Gap Road (USFS 812), 7.3 miles.
Parkers Gap Road (USFS 812) to Jennings Creek Road (VA 614), 11.4 miles.
Jennings Creek Road (VA 614) to Bearwallow Gap (VA 43), 6.6 miles.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway connects the Skyline Drive on the north with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the south. From its low point at the James River with an elevation of 649 feet, it climbs to an elevation of 3950 feet at Apple Orchard Mountain. The road, with no stop-signs or billboards, is a scenic drive connecting overlooks to the west and east. Its construction overcame steep terrain, eroded mountainsides, granite and gneiss bedrock and extreme winter weather. Stonemasons from Italy and Spain built the sturdy walls and bridges still seen today. After legislation authorizing construction was passed in 1936, the highway was finished 51 years later in 1987. The highway, administered by the National Park Service, is closed when snow and ice create driving hazards. To maintain the rural views along the road, the National Park Service works with landowners of adjacent property and coalitions of citizens and state organizations to maintain visual guidelines. Support groups include Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.