Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area is a
Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in
Virginia. It is the second-largest WMA in the Commonwealth, covering portions of
Smyth
Smyth is an early variant of the common surname Smith commonly found in Ireland.Citation: Bardsley, 1901 Shown below are notable people who share the surname "Smyth".
Notable people sharing the Smyth surname
Listed here are people who share the ...
,
Washington,
Russell
Russell may refer to:
People
* Russell (given name)
* Russell (surname)
* Lady Russell (disambiguation)
* Lord Russell (disambiguation)
Places Australia
*Russell, Australian Capital Territory
*Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation)
**Ru ...
, and
Tazewell counties.
Description
Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area is dominated by steep mountains and narrow valleys, with elevations ranging from above sea level to at the summit of
Beartown Mountain
Beartown Mountain is in the Clinch Mountain range, which is in eastern Russell County, Virginia, United States. At , it is the 7th highest summit in Virginia. It is the 41st highest County High Point of the Eastern United States.
Beartown Mounta ...
. It is due to this difference in elevation that an unusual type of forest, containing species found in both the southern and northern United States, has developed. The land was
virgin forest
''Virgin Forest'' is a 1985 Filipino period film directed by Peque Gallaga. A self-described B-movie, it stars Sarsi Emmanuel, who plays a barrio lass of Chinese ancestry; Miguel Rodriguez, as a Filipino-Spanish illustrado; and, Abel Jurado, wh ...
until late in the nineteenth century, and some evidence of logging, including portions of the former
narrow gauge railroad, can still be seen. Laurel Bed Lake, a reservoir, is located within the area, in addition to Big Tumbling Creek and several of its tributaries.
[
Given the variety of landscapes which it covers, and the range in elevation found throughout the area, it is the most biologically diverse of the holdings of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.][
]
Public access
Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area is open to the public for hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, boating, and primitive camping, although some interior roads are seasonally closed. Improvements include a sighting-in range for firearms, an archery shooting range, and two boat ramps on Laurel Bed Lake. Horseback riding is permitted on gravel roads only.[ Access for persons 17 years of age or older requires a valid hunting or fishing permit, a current Virginia boat registration, or a WMA access permit.]
See also
* List of Virginia Wildlife Management Areas
References
External links
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries: Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Wildlife management areas of Virginia
Protected areas of Smyth County, Virginia
Protected areas of Washington County, Virginia
Protected areas of Russell County, Virginia
Protected areas of Tazewell County, Virginia
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