Public Land and Agencies – Please note that National Forest lands in VA and WV are under the Southern District of the USDA (headquarters in Georgia), while WV is under the Eastern District USDA, (headquarters in Wisconsin)
Back Country Horsemen of America (national website) http://www.backcountryhorse.com
Monongahela National Forest in WV http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/
Schedule of Proposed Actions Monongahela National Forest in WV http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/mnf/environmental/environmental_index.htm
George Washington/Jefferson National Forest in VA and WV http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj Schedule of Proposed Actions in George Washington/Jefferson National Forest in VA http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/projects_plans/sopa/
Official Newspapers for Notice of Actions for each Ranger District in VA http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/projects_plans/sopa/
Lee District of the GWJ National Forest http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/lee/
US Department of Agriculture, Southern Region NF http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/
US Department of Agriculture, Eastern Region NF http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/
US Department of Agriculture http://www.usda.gov/
Shenandoah National Park http://www.nps.gov/shen/
Appalachian National Scenic Trail http://www.nps.gov/appa/ Traditionally closed to horses and mountain bikes even on federal land in some areas. Shenandoah National Park, for instance.
National Park Service http://www.nps.gov/
US Department of the Interior http://www.doi.gov/
WV State Parks, Forests and Wildlife Management areas http://www.wvparks.com/
VA State Parks, Forests and Wildlife Management areas http://www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/
WV Equine Association http://www.wvequineassoc.org/
Horses Go in Virginia http://www.horsesgoinva.com/
Maps, Trails, and Guidebooks
Trails in West Virginia www.trails.com
Allegheny Trail Guide by the West Virginia Scenic Trail Association http://wvscenictrails.org/
National Geographic Trails Illustrated Maps of each Ranger District in Virginia http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/trails/
Topo! series of USGS topographic maps to 7.5 minute (Mid-Atlantc covers VA/WV) http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/topo/
both of the above can be purchased at http://www.ngmapstore.com/ and digital files made with Topo! can be shared with other users at the Topo! mapXchange website
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) maps and guidebooks http://www.patc.net/store/
Allen de Hart Guide Books at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Allen%20De%20Hart/102-6877224-1154508
Hiking Guide to the Monongahela National Forest 2001, Allen deHart
Hiking the Mountain State, Allen de Hart
Hiking the Old Dominion, Allan de Hart
Historic Topographic Maps on-line <http://historical.maptech.com/>
Current Topographic Maps on-line <http://topozone.com/>
Another place to purchase some of these maps and GPS units is GPS City http://www.gpscity.com/
Allegheny Highlands Trail
The Allegheny Highlands Trail is a multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail built by the WV Division of Highways; it is 21 miles in length running from Elkins, WV to Parsons, WV.
Cranberry/Tri-Rivers Rail Trail
14.5 mile multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail near Summersville, WV in Nicholas County. For more information contact: 304-846-4605.
Greenbrier River Rail Trail
The Greenbrier River Rail Trail is a multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail operated by West Virginia State Parks; it is 76 miles in length running from North Caldwell to one mile south of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
Harrison County Bike and Hike Rail Trail
7 mile multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail near Clarksburg, WV in Harrison County. For more information contact: 304-624-8619.
Hatfield-McCoy Trails
The Hatfield-McCoy Trails are multi-use recreational trails which are privately owned and operated; over 500 miles of trails located in the mountains of Appalachia in southern WV.
Marion County Rail Trail (MC Trail)
2.5 mile multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail running from northeast Fairmont to Pricketts Fort State Park in Marion County.
Monongahela National Forest
Over 909,000 acres in 10 counties and over 500 miles of trails; horses are permitted almost everywhere in the Monongahela National Forest.
North Bend Rail TrailThe North Bend Rail Trail is a multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail operated by West Virginia State Parks; it stretches 72 miles from I-77 near Parkersburg in Wood County to Wolf Summit in Harrison County.
Panhandle Rail Trail
The Panhandle Rail Trail is a multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail; it is WV’s first interstate trail connecting Weirton, WV to Carnegie, PA near Pittsburgh. The Panhandle Trail also connects to a complex of trails, starting with the Montour Trail, that extends to Washington, DC, via the C&O Canal National Historical Park.
Ralph S. LaRue/West Fork River Rail Trail
14.5 mile multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail extending between Fairmont, WV and Shinnston, WV in Harrison and Marion County.
West Fork Rail Trail
26 mile multi-use (non-motorized) recreational trail extending from Durbin, WV (Pocahontas County) to Glady, WV (Randolph County). This trail offers access to a remote section of the Greenbrier Watershed and parallels the West Fork of the Greenbrier River almost its entire length.
Leave No Trace, Packing, Useful Data, Books, , etc.
Leave NoTrace http://www.lnt.org/ Back Country Horsemen supports the Leave No Trace ethic
*The Packers Field Manual by Robert C. Hoverson. DVD also available - Call 406-626-5785 for price & info
Horses, Hitches and Rocky Trails by Joe Back
Packin’ in on Mules and Horses by Smoke Elser, Bill Brown
Pack Saddles and all related gear including highline swivels, bells, muzzles, hobbles, canvas buckets, etc. http://www.custompackrigging.com/ very good prices; looks like top quality equipment
USGS real-time water data for stream gage on Waites Run, WV (2.6 miles south of Wardensville, 4.3 miles above the mouth, and 8.2 miles east of Baker.) <http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis/uv/?site_no=01610400&agency_cd=USGS> you must click on “get data” to view current reading. This gage is a good bellweather for streams throughout the Lee District area.
Historic topo maps online <http://historical.maptech.com/>
Current topo maps online <http://topozone.com/>
Satellite Phones <http://www.globalstar.com/> cell phones do not work in most areas and the price of satellite phones which do work has dropped dramatically in recent years
Blue Creek Outfitters <http://www.bcoutfitter.com/> Stuff here you won’t find anywhere else. This is the website of Stan Walchuk Jr, author of CORDILLERA! an account of his 1000 mile journey from BC to Alaska on horseback.
Other user groups websites :
Mountain Bikes:
Shenandoah Mountain Bike Club http://www.shenandoahmountainbikeclub.com/
IMBA International Mountain Bike Association http://www.imba.com/
Hikers:
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club http://www.patc.net/
Appalachian Trail Conservancy link is to their database of clubs by state http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hike/dbase1.html
West Virginia Scenic Trails Association http://wvscenictrails.org/
Conservation Groups:
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy http://www.wvhighlands.org/
Virginia Forest Watch http://www.virginiaforestwatch.org/
Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/
The Equestrian Land Conservation Resource http://www.elcr.org
Wilderness in National Parks see http://wilderness.nps.gov
When Past is Present : Archaeology of the Displaced in Shenandoah National Park. http://www.nps.gov/shen/3b1d1.htm
Children of Shenandoah http://www.usgennet.org/usa/va/shenan/
Sportsmen and related:
West Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited http://www.wvtu.org/
Virginia Trout Unlimited <http://www.wvtu.org/>
Fly-Fishing in West Virginia http://www.wvangler.com/Virginia
Hunting in West Virginia http://www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/hunting.shtmWest
West Virginia Trophy Hunters Association <http://www.wvtrophyhunters.com/>
West Virginia Trappers Association http://www.wvtrappers.com/
Virginia Forestry Association <http://www.vaforestry.org/>
West Virginia Division of Forestry <http://www.wvforestry.com/>
West Virginia Forestry Association <http://wvfa.org/>
Mead-Westvaco <http://www.meadwestvaco.com/>
Mining:
Virginia Department of Mines Minerals and Energy <http://www.mme.state.va.us>
Virginia Mining Association <http://www.virginiaminingassoc.com/>
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection <http://www.dep.state.wv.us/>
