Laurel Fork North Wilderness

Laurel Fork North Wilderness
Part of Monongahela National Forest
Wilderness Area
Sign for Laurel Fork Wilderness on Middle Mountain Road.
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Randolph

Coordinates	38°45′27″N 79°40′23″W / 38.75750°N 79.67306°W / 38.75750; -79.67306Coordinates: 38°45′27″N 79°40′23″W / 38.75750°N 79.67306°W / 38.75750; -79.67306
Highest point	Middle Mountain
- location	south of Wymer
- elevation	3,763 ft (1,147.0 m) ^[1]
- coordinates	38°47′19″N 79°40′04″W / 38.78861°N 79.66778°W / 38.78861; -79.66778
Lowest point	Laurel Fork (Cheat River)
- location	east of Glady
- elevation	2,897 ft (883.0 m) ^[2]
- coordinates	38°48′38″N 79°38′17″W / 38.81056°N 79.63806°W / 38.81056; -79.63806

Area	6,055 acres (2,450.4 ha) ^[3]

Established	1983 ^[3]
Management	Monongahela National Forest
Owner	USDA Forest Service

IUCN category	Ib - Wilderness Area

Nearest city	Harman, West Virginia

Location of Laurel Fork North Wilderness in West Virginia
Website: Laurel Fork Wildernesses

Laurel Fork North Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Greenbrier Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.^[3] The Wilderness protects high-elevation lands along Laurel Fork (Cheat River) and is bordered by Middle Mountain to the west. It is a companion to Laurel Fork South Wilderness, the two being split by Randolph County Route 40. Laurel Fork North contains 9.5 miles (15.3 km) of hiking trails.^[3]

History

The land that now comprises Laurel Fork North Wilderness was once private forestland owned by the Laurel River Lumber Company. The area was first logged by floating the logs down the Laurel Fork, and later by railroad. By 1921, the virgin forestland was fully logged. The U.S. Forest Service acquired the area soon thereafter, adding it to Monongahela National Forest.^[3]

Laurel Fork South and Laurel Fork North Wildernesses were designated in 1983 by the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia, Land Designations law.^[3]

References

↑ USGS Glady Quad Topographic Map, as displayed by TopoQuest, accessed June 30, 2008
↑ USGS Glady Quad Topographic Map, as displayed by TopoQuest, accessed June 30, 2008
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Laurel Fork Wilderness brochure" (PDF). Monongahela National Forest. Retrieved April 13, 2010.

Monongahela National Forest

National Recreation Areas	Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area

Wilderness areas	Big Draft Wilderness Cranberry Wilderness Dolly Sods Wilderness Laurel Fork North Wilderness Laurel Fork South Wilderness Otter Creek Wilderness Roaring Plains West Wilderness Spice Run Wilderness

Mountains and summits	Allegheny Front Allegheny Mountain Back Allegheny Mountain Backbone Mountain Barton Knob Bickle Knob Champe Rocks Cheat Mountain Gaudineer Knob Mount Porte Crayon North Fork Mountain River Knobs Seneca Rocks Shavers Mountain Spruce Knob Spruce Mountain

Rivers and creeks	Black Fork Blackwater River Cheat River Cranberry River Dry Fork Elk River Gauley River Glady Fork Greenbrier River Laurel Fork Seneca Creek South Branch Potomac River Shavers Fork Tygart Valley River Williams River

Canyons and valleys	Blackwater Canyon Canaan Valley Germany Valley Smoke Hole Canyon

Lakes and bogs	Lake Sherwood Spruce Knob Lake Summit Lake Cranberry Glades

Observation towers	Bickle Knob Olson Tower

Other features	Bear Rocks Preserve Camp Allegheny Cheat Summit Fort Fernow Experimental Forest Gaudineer Scenic Area Highland Scenic Highway Middle Mountain Cabins Mill Point Federal Prison Sinks of Gandy

US Forest Service

Protected areas of West Virginia

Federal

National Historical Parks	Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Harpers Ferry

National Forests	George Washington and Jefferson Monongahela

National Recreation Areas	Gauley River (NPS) Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks (USFS)

National Wildlife Refuges	Canaan Valley Ohio River Islands

National Trails System	Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Wilderness Areas	Big Draft Wilderness Cranberry Wilderness Dolly Sods Wilderness Laurel Fork North Wilderness Laurel Fork South Wilderness Mountain Lake Wilderness Otter Creek Wilderness Roaring Plains Wilderness Spice Run Wilderness

National Rivers	Bluestone NSR New River Gorge

State

State parks	Audra Babcock Beartown Beech Fork Berkeley Springs Blackwater Falls Blennerhassett Island Bluestone Cacapon Resort Camp Creek Canaan Valley Resort Carnifex Ferry Battlefield Cass Scenic Railroad Cathedral Cedar Creek Chief Logan Droop Mountain Battlefield Fairfax Stone Greenbrier River Trail Hawks Nest Holly River Little Beaver Lost River Moncove Lake North Bend Rail Trail North Bend Pinnacle Rock Pipestem Resort Prickett's Fort Stonewall Jackson Lake Tomlinson Run Tu-Endie-Wei Twin Falls Resort Tygart Lake Valley Falls Watoga Watters Smith Memorial

State forests	Cabwaylingo Calvin Price Camp Creek Coopers Rock Greenbrier Kanawha Kumbrabow Seneca

Wildlife management areas	Allegheny Amherst-Plymouth Anawalt Lake Bear Rock Lakes Becky Creek Beech Fork Lake Berwind Lake Beury Mountain Big Ditch Big Ugly Bluestone Burches Run Burnsville Lake Castleman Run Lake Cecil H. Underwood Center Branch Cheat Canyon Chief Cornstalk Conaway Run Lake Cross Creek Dents Run Dunkard Fork East Lynn Lake Edwards Run Elk Creek Elk River Fairfox Pond-Rehe Fort Mill Ridge Fox Forest Frozen Camp Green Bottom Handley Hilbert Hillcrest Horse Creek Hughes River Huttonsville State Farm Lantz Farm and Nature Preserve Laurel Lake Lewis Wetzel Little Indian Creek McClintic Meadow River Mill Creek Moncove Lake Morris Creek Nathaniel Mountain Panther Pedlar Pleasant Creek Plum Orchard Lake Pruntytown State Farm R.D. Bailey Lake Ritchie Mines Sand Hill Shannondale Springs Short Mountain Slatyfork Sleepy Creek Smoke Camp Snake Hill South Branch Stonecoal Lake Stonewall Jackson Lake Stumptown Summersville Lake Tate Lohr Teter Creek Lake The Jug Thorn Creek Tug Fork Turkey Run Upper Deckers Creek Upper Mud River Valley Bend Wetlands Wallback Widmeyer Woodrum Lake

Other WVDNR sites	West Virginia State Wildlife Center

Non-
governmental

Nature Conservancy preserves	Brush Creek Bear Rocks Cranesville Swamp Greenland Gap Hungry Beech Ice Mountain Mount Porte Crayon Murphy Panther Knob Pike Knob Slaty Mountain Upper Shavers Fork Yankauer

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Laurel Fork North Wilderness

History

See also

References