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212:. Yellow poplar, northern red oak, white oak, basswood, cucumber tree, white ash, eastern hemlock and red maple are found in colluvial drainages, toeslopes and along flood plains of small to medium-sized streams. White oak, northern red oak, and hickory dominate on the north and west, while chestnut oak, scarlet oak and yellow pine are found on ridgetops and midslopes on the south and east.
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Forest. Additional roads and trails are given on
National Geographic Maps 788 (Covington, Alleghany Highlands). A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wild land's coordinates in the upper right of this page.
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orchis, the crested dwarf iris, jack-in-the pulpit, bloodroot, black-eyed susan, trout lily and many varieties of trillium. The spring and summer season bring woodland birds including the wood thrush, ovenbird, white-eyed vireo, pine warblers, worm-eating warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, and white-breasted nuthatches.
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are across the creek from the picnic area. In the early 1800s, the furnace was used to fire sandstone and quartzite containing iron ore from the mountain. When heated to 2600 degrees, molten iron flowed from the rock into trenches of sand. The iron then cooled and was formed into ingots to produce
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The area is distinguished by ridges that trend northeast–southwest. The ridges, composed of sandstone or shale, have parallel drainages flowing into broad limestone valleys. Rich Patch, Pine and
Deisher Mountains are typical with small steep sideslope drainages. The highest elevation is 3728 feet
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Beyond maintained trails, old logging roads can be used to explore the area. The
Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable. Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting
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leads to a scenic waterfall where
Roaring Run drops 35 feet over rock ledges. The moist environment along the trail and its orientation toward the sun create a habitat for the most diverse collection of wildflowers in the New Castle Ranger District. Among the flowers found here are the showy
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The boundary of the wildland, as determined by the
Wilderness Society, is shown in the adjacent map. The map shows one-third of the area in the James River Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest and the two-thirds in the New Castle Ranger District of the Jefferson National
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There are stands of pure table mountain pine, mostly on southeast to southwest facing ridges and slopes with dry, well-drained soils; and there are areas of mixed oak and table mountain pine. Table mountain pine requires fire to regenerate because it has
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The forest service classifies areas under their management by a recreational opportunity setting that informs visitors of the diverse range of opportunities available in the forest. The area is classified as a "Special Area" with unique prescriptions.
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The Forest
Service has conducted a survey of their lands to determine the potential for wilderness designation. Wilderness designation provides a high degree of protection from development. The areas that were found suitable are referred to as
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Located at the northeastern corner of the wild area, the
Roaring Run Branch Recreation Area is a trailhead for the Iron Ore trail, as well as several trails leading along Roaring Run with views of Roaring Run Falls. The
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A 1.1 mile section of The Potts Jeep Road, unimproved FDR 5036, is on the western edge of the area. The state of
Virginia has designated Va 615 on the southeast as a Virginia Byway.
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iron products such as stoves and skillets. Colorful marble-sized stones, a product of the slag formed during the heating of the rock, similar to the volcanic glass
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cones that need heat to open and disperse its seeds. Management of these areas require prescribed burns in order to maintain the forest in its present condition.
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as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The
Wilderness Society has designated the area as a "Mountain Treasure".
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Ridge and Valley
Subsection of the Northern Ridge and Valley Section in the Central Appalachian Broadleaf Coniferous Forest-Meadow Province
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311:. Hoop Hole was inventoried in the roadless area review, and therefore protected from possible road construction and timber sales.
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Hoop Hole National Recreation Trail; Forest Trail 5001; 9.0 miles; difficult; blue-blazed; hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking
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Popular with hunters and anglers, the area has a National Recreation Trail that offers outstanding views of streams and waterfalls.
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The Hoop Hole Trail was used as a firebreak in the 50-acre Roaring Run fire in 2010. Since then, the trail has been restored.
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along the crest of Rich Patch Mountain while the lowest elevation of about 3000 feet is at Crawford Branch on the east.
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The area includes the headwaters of Hipes Branch, Stony Run, Wolf Branch, Crawford Branch, and Deisher Branch.
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Iron Ore Trail, Forest Trail 5004; 2.4 miles; moderate; yellow blazed hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking
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Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Jefferson National Forest, Management Bulletin R8-MB 115E
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In a 1998 survey of five acres, three inventoried collier pits were found dating back to the latter 1800s.
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Old growth trees 140 years old or older are in the George Washington National Forest section of the area.
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Silurian-aged sandstone underlays about 75 percent of the area, with the remaining area underlain by
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The Roaring Run Trail and Roaring Run Recreation Area are on the northeastern corner of the area.
401:. Roanoke, Virginia: Jefferson National Forest, US Department of Agriculture. pp. C-86–C-87.
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Virginia's Mountain Treasures, The Unprotected Wildlands of the Jefferson National Forest
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Where There Are Mountains, An Environmental History of the Southern Appalachians
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Unusual flora and fauna found in the area include a globally rare shrub, the
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A Review of the Virginia Mountain Treasures of the Jefferson National Forest
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Boundary of the Hoop Hole wildland as identified by the Wilderness Society
159:. It is bounded by Va 615 on the southeast and Va 621 on the northeast.
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366:. Washington, D. C.: The Wilderness Society, OCLC: 42806366. p. 28.
433:. Blacksburg, Virginia: Sierra Club, OCLC: 893635467. pp. 45–46.
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Covington, Alleghany Highlands (Trails Illustrated Hiking Maps, 788)
196:(USGS). The Hoop Hole wild area is covered by USGS topographic map
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There have been numerous convictions for poaching in the area.
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551:, 2013, West Virginia University Press, West Virginia,
470:. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press.
566:, 2000, University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia.
528:"Recreation Opportunity Setting as a Management Tool"
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of Southwestern Virginia, about 8 miles southeast of
502:. Marietta, Georgia: Longstreet Press, Inc. p.
223:. Featured species include bear, deer and grouse.
192:the historical topographic maps available from the
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455:. Washington, D. C.: National Geographic Society.
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16:Protected natural area in Virginia, United States
610:George Washington and Jefferson National Forests
129:of western Virginia, has been recognized by the
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585:George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
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549:A Natural History of the Central Appalachians
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620:Protected areas of the Appalachians
335:Barbours Creek-Shawvers Run Cluster
141:Barbours Creek-Shawvers Run Cluster
494:Winegar, Deane and Garvey (1998).
429:Bamford, Sherman (February 2013).
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451:Trails Illustrated Maps (2001).
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194:United States Geological Survey
309:conservation of roadless areas
162:Trails into the area include:
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468:The Jefferson National Forest
362:Parsons, Shireen (May 1999).
595:Roaring Run Wildflower Trail
271:Roaring Run Wildflower Trail
264:Roaring Run Recreation Area
219:; and an invertebrate the
151:The area is located in the
108:5,625 acres (22.76 km)
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305:inventoried roadless areas
298:Forest Service management
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139:The area is part of the
547:Stephenson, Steven L.,
208:The area is within the
63:Virginia, United States
562:Davis, Donald Edward,
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625:Mountains of Virginia
466:Sarvis, Will (2011).
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153:Appalachian Mountains
89:37.69083°N 79.91306°W
125:, a wildland in the
287:Roaring Run Furnace
285:The remains of the
281:Roaring Run Furnace
157:Covington, Virginia
147:Location and access
116:U.S. Forest Service
94:37.69083; -79.91306
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615:Southwest Virginia
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217:pirate bush
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68:Coordinates
604:Categories
340:References
241:Topography
229:serotinous
80:79°54′47″W
77:37°41′27″N
123:Hoop Hole
22:Hoop Hole
330:See also
292:obsidian
251:Brallier
56:Location
257:shale.
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531:(PDF)
198:Strom
568:ISBN
553:ISBN
508:ISBN
472:ISBN
253:and
105:Area
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
