The Wild Oak Trail is a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

located in the

Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...

in Central

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. It is part of

George Washington National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover of land in the Appalachian Mountai ...

. The trail is a loop, and begins at the headwaters of the North River, and traverses up to several ridge tops. Due to the trail's difficulty (circumnavigating the trail requires 7,850 feet of total ascent) and length, it sees little traffic.

History

The Wild Oak Trail was designated a

by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1979. Much of the land surrounding the trail and the North River was cleared for farming, which continued through the 1930s. It was during this time that portions of the trail was cleared by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

to help in providing access for fighting Forest Fires. Camp Todd, which the trail passes by after a crossing of the North River, was used as a herdsman's cabin and a Fire Guard station.

Animals and Plants

There are a variety of birds, reptiles and mammals in the area.

Deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

Black Bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

rattlesnakes Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera ''Crotalus'' and ''Sistrurus'' of the subfamily Crotalinae (the pit vipers). All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small anima ...

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

grouse Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondr ...

and

bobcats The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

may be encountered by users of the trail. There have been more than forty species of trees and thirty wildflowers identified along the Wild Oak Trail.

Activities

The trail sees a variety of user activity, including

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

. To complete the entire loop, various guides suggest devoting a day to each of the trail's three sections. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. Challenges for the hiker include steep ascents and descents, and few water supply points. There are backcountry camp spots along the trail. Hikers should be aware that the area is popular with hunters in the fall and should exercise necessary caution. Also, the trail and overlooks tend to be overgrown with vegetation late in summer, so an early Spring or early Fall hike is recommended. Mountain Biking is also a popular activity on the Wild Oak Trail. Part of the

Shenandoah 100 The Shenandoah 100 is an ultra-endurance 100 mile (162 km) mountain bike race held in central Western Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United ...

Ultra-Endurance race uses the trail. The Virginia Happy Trails Running Club hold a couple "unofficial" trail running events a year on the Wild Oak. Participants may run the loop multiple times. Horseback Riders also utilize the trail, while using Camp Todd to stay overnight. In addition, the primitive North River Campground is located two miles (3 km) from the trail.

North River Campground (accessed May 11, 2007)

Image gallery

File:Wild Oak Trail snake.jpg, An example of the wildlife found on the trail Image:WildOakTrail_uphill.jpg, The trail often leads uphill Image:North River (South Fork Shenandoah River).jpg, The North River crossing, near Camp Todd

Notes

External links

Wild Oak Trail on Trimble Outdoors
{{Coord, 38.395016, -79.258041, display=title Hiking trails in Virginia Protected areas of Augusta County, Virginia National Recreation Trails in Virginia