Archive for August, 2008
Kiptopeke State Park
Posted by Chris | Filed under Eastern Virginia, State Parks, Trail Information
Located near Cape Charles, three miles north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, this 590-acre park has several short trails along the beach and through maritime forest. Sunken, concrete-filled ships form a protected area for swimming in the Chesapeake Bay, and a 1,000-foot pier offers some good fishing opportunities. Stroll along the 1.5-mile Baywoods Trail and connect with the southern beach via a series of interconnected boardwalks that thread through the dunes.
Since 1963, Kiptopeke has been the site of bird population studies. Sponsored by the Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory and licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, volunteers capture, examine, weigh, band and release resident and migratory birds each year from mid-August through November. In the raptor research area, hawks, kestrels, osprey and other birds of prey are observed and banded from September through November. Kiptopeke’s hawk observatory is among the top 15 nationwide.
Hiking/bicycle trails - More than four miles of trails. Stroll through upland hardwood forest along Baywoods Trail and look for tracks of foxes, deer and many birds. In the fall, you can visit the Kiptopeke Bird Banding Station and watch the ongoing research. The southern beach also is perfect for a hike. The upland Baywoods Trail and southern beach are connected by extensive boardwalks so that visitors may explore Kiptopeke’s dune formation. When hiking on the southern beach, please observe signs designating the special habitat area that is closed to visitors. Bicycle trails are available along the park’s entrance road and the Raptor, Songbird, Chickadee and Mockingbird trails.
Guided hikes, fishing clinics, canoe programs (fee), beach bonfire programs, waterfront activities, hayride (fee); weekly birding programs in the fall. Clean the Bay Day, mid-June. Bird-banding, mid-August - late November. Eastern Shore Birding Festival, September. Hayrides, late October.
Kiptopeke State Park,
3540 Kiptopeke Drive
Cape Charles, VA 23310
Phone: (757) 331-2267
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Posted by Chris | Filed under Eastern Virginia, Trail Information
Chincoteague NWR, located primarily on the Virginia side of Assateague Island, consists of more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest. Chincoteague NWR, originally established in 1943 to provide habitat for migratory birds (with an emphasis on conserving greater snow geese), today provides habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and song birds, as well as other species of wildlife and plants. Refuge staff manage this barrier island habitat to allow many species of wildlife to coexist, each establishing their own place in the environment. In fact, more than 320 species of birds are known to occur on the refuge. The refuge has been designated a Globally Important Bird Area, is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network and designated as one of the top ten birding Hotspots by the National Audubon Society.
Refuge management programs restore threatened and endangered species such as the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel, the bald eagle and the piping plover. More than 2,600 acres of man-made marshes, or moist soil management units, are managed for wintering waterfowl and shorebirds during migration. Unique residents of the island, the famous Chincoteague ponies, are housed in two areas on the refuge through a special agreement with the ponies’ owners, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
With approximately 1.4 million visits a year, Chincoteague NWR is one of the most visited refuges in the nation. Chincoteague NWR provides visitors with extraordinary educational and recreational opportunities. In addition, a special partnership exists with the National Park Service which allows Assateague Island National Seashore to administer public activities on a five-mile portion of the refuge beach.
The new Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center offers educational exhibits, an auditorium and wet laboratory/classroom for visiting group
Details: There is a $10 entrance fee per vehicle, good for one week. The nearby village of Chincoteague has dining and lodging options. July brings crowds for the famous Pony Swim and Auction.
Information: 757-336-6122, http://chinco.fws.gov/
Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Posted by Chris | Filed under Appalachian Trail, Southwest Virginia, Trail Information
The Mount Rogers National Recreation Area consists of three distinct regions:
West End
The West End of the Mount Rogers NRA includes the famous Virginia Creeper Trail, outstanding trout fishing in Whitetop Laurel, and picturesque Beartree Lake. The NRA’s largest campground, Beartree, is a great family campground and close to all west end activities. Damascus, the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail, is a trail hub as four major trails go through the town: Virginia Creeper, Appalachian Trail, Iron Mountain, and Daniel Boone Heritage Trail.
East End
Are you looking for solitude? The family campgrounds at Comers Rock and Raven Cliff are lightly used and have several nice trails nearby. The Comers Rock Overlook has outstanding views and the Raven Cliff Furnace Trail takes you to a fascinating iron ore furnace from the early 1800’s. Looking for something more developed? Two rental cabins with outstanding views are located on the East End. The East End also has several horse trails and horse camps for the equestrian. Hussy Mountain and Collins Cove Horse Camps provide camping areas close to the famous Virginia Highlands Horse Trail.
High Country
The heart of the NRA, the high country contains over 25,000 acres of the highest lands in Virginia. The Mount Rogers NRA manages approximately 20,000 acres of the high country and 5,000 acres are managed by Grayson Highlands State Park. The high country consists of the following areas:
Lewis Fork Wilderness & Little Wilson Creek Wilderness
Combined, these two federally designated wildernesses total about 10,000 acres of primitive backcountry. These two areas are forested in northern hardwoods with red spruce and Fraser Fir at the highest elevations.
Crest Zone
The open areas on Brier Ridge, Cabin Ridge, Wilburn Ridge, Stone Mountain, and Pine Mountain are commonly called the Crest Zone and total about 2,000 acres. Views are spectacular, with rocky ridges and grassy areas. The area was once heavily forested, but over logging by private companies during the early 1900’s, and wildfire created the balds. Grazing by domestic livestock kept them open. The US Forest Service acquired the property during the 1960’s. Today the balds are kept open through prescribed burning and regulated cattle grazing by private farmers who lease grazing rights. Ponies- Two herds of free-roaming ponies make their home in the high country. A private association manages them. One herd is in Grayson Highlands State Park, and the other lives within the Crest Zone of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Enjoy the ponies, but do not feed them or harass them. In the fall, some of the ponies are auctioned at the Grayson Highlands State Park Fall Festival to manage the population.
Trails
There are over 400 miles of designated trails on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Trails range from primitive single-track to old logging roads and railroad grades. Some are for foot only, others allow horse and/or bicycle use. Plan your trip carefully if you are looking for solitude. Trails in the high country as well as the Virginia Creeper and Appalachian Trail are popular destinations, particularly on weekends. Please be sure you use only those trails open to your particular type of travel. Please note that trails within wildernesses are always primitive with few or no signs or blazes and may be difficult to follow in places. Before heading into wilderness, you should be competent with both map and compass. Any type of motorized or wheeled vehicles (including bicycles and any type of wheeled cart) is prohibited in wilderness, but horses are allowed on designated trails.
The Appalachian Trail and the Virginia Creeper Trail both run through the Mt. Rogers area. On top of these well known trails, there is also a large number of independent trails that run through out the recreation area. They include Beartree Lake Trail, Comers Creek Falls Trail, Hale Lake Trail, Crawfish Trail System, and Seven Sisters Trail.
For more information about Mt. Rogers, check the US Forest Service website for the latest updates and news: http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/mr/index.shtml
