and GrandCaverns. recreational opportunities, as dotheregional tional 66,132+acresofvaluable openspace,andprovidenumerousvaried wildlife managementareas, forestsandotherstateresourcescontributeanaddi- Trail skirtstheeasternboundaryofregion.DouthatStatePark,state-owned Park andGeorgeWashington andJeffersonNationalForests.TheAppalachian holdings totalmorethan618,170acres,andinclude theShenandoahNational A varietyofnaturalandrecreationalresourcesare present intheregion.Federal and Bathcountiesformtheheadwatersectionsof JamesRiversystem. through thecornerofRockbridgeCounty. Numerous streamsinAugusta,Highland originate inAugustaandHighlandcounties.To thesouth,JamesRivercuts headwater streamsthatformtheNorthandSouthForks oftheShenandoahRiver while providingopportunitiesforswimming,canoeing andcamping.Manyofthe River flowsthroughthevalley, creatingoneofthepremierfisheriesinstate, of fertilefarmland,rollingfieldsandforests.TheSouthForktheShenandoah mountains, ’s ShenandoahValley containsbeautifulanddiverselandscapes Allegheny rangeliesalongthewesternpartofregion.Nestledbetweenthese square miles.TheBlueRidgeMountainsformtheeasternboundaryand The CentralShenandoahPlanningDistricthasatotalareaofapproximately3,437 increase fromthe1990censusnumbers. than 258,750peopleliveintheregion.Fordistrict,thisrepresentsabouta15% Monterey, MountCrawfordandTimberville. Accordingtothe2000Census,more of Bridgewater, Broadway, Craigsville,Dayton,Elkton,Glasgow, Goshen,Grottoes, Buena Vista, Harrisonburg,Lexington,StauntonandWaynesboro; andthetowns Augusta, Bath,Highland,RockbridgeandRockinghamcounties;thecitiesof in theheartofVirginia’s famousShenandoahValley. Thedistrictcomprises The CentralShenandoahPlanningDistrictwasnamedforitsgeographiclocation PlanningDistrict CentralShenandoah Region 6: recreational areasofNatural Chimneys The 2002 Virginia OutdoorsPlan CHAPTER IV-F 197 The 2002 Virginia Outdoors Plan

The and Skyline Drive are among mainly to the large state and federal holdings. There the nation’s premier scenic roads. These major scenic remains a shortage of land and facilities for close-to-home highways attract tourists from throughout the nation, activities that local residents desire in their communi- as well as international visitors. The character of the ties. Currently, the greatest needs for local facilities parkway, as well as some sections of Skyline Drive, include courts and fields, outdoor swimming pools, have been altered from that of a pastoral scene to playgrounds, and other resources usually provided by landscapes that are sometimes marked by incompati- local parks and recreational departments. See Table 8, ble development. Overlooks that once featured page 205. breathtaking vistas of farmsteads or forest now reveal factories and expanding suburban residential develop- The following recommendations could contribute to ment. In some cases, subdivisions are being developed regional open space and/or recreational opportunities within a few hundred feet of these magnificent corri- for meeting current and future needs of area residents dors. As development continues to expand in these and visitors. sensitive areas, there will be major impacts on the quality of the visitor experience. Those communities Private sector that benefit most from the presence of these scenic The private sector has numerous opportunities to highways should consider strengthening local compre- become involved in the recreation-tourism economic hensive plans and creating special zoning regulations activities that result from the region’s unique natural, that will take into account the unique scenic and eco- cultural, and historic resources. The increased demand nomic benefits associated with the scenic values of the for facilities to house, feed, and provide services to the parkway and Skyline Drive and their viewsheds. millions of visitors is obvious. The private sector will provide most of the future development of golf courses, The Central is a major tourist des- pools, and other similar facilities. The ecotourism tination for visitors from throughout the country who related demands for the Central Shenandoah Valley are are attracted by the region’s many natural and historic steadily increasing. Many of the significant battlefields resources. Nationally known resorts, such as the from the Civil War remain in private ownership. The Homestead, are popular destinations offering year-round Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation will rely opportunities such as snow-skiing and championship heavily on public-private partnerships in order to golf courses. The Museum of American Frontier implement the many recommendations found in the Culture near Staunton has become a major attraction Management Plan for protecting these historic areas for the region. The Virginia Horse Center near Lexington and helping to meet the ever-increasing demands gener- attracts equine enthusiasts from throughout the Mid- ated by Civil War enthusiasts. Private companies support Atlantic region. Events like Staunton’s Fourth of July the most of the demand for canoes and other recreation- celebration and the Highland Maple Festival increase al watercraft for visitors seeking to explore the leg- in popularity every year. endary South Fork of the Shenandoah, the James and Maury Rivers. However, additional opportunities exist All the localities in this region have resources on the to provide access points and visitor accommodations. National Register of Historic Places, including a num- ber of historic districts that date back to the first set- Federal facilities tlement in the area. The entire region is dotted with 1. In 1997 Congress enacted legislation creating the historic villages, farms, and inns. Since the area has Shenandoah Valley Battlefield National Historic remained largely rural, most of these historic sites have District (SVBNHD). Augusta, Highland and retained a high degree of integrity. Rockingham counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton and Waynesboro are included within that Due to the vast natural resources and outdoor recre- designation. The legislation authorized a commission ational facilities on state and federal lands, the central whose charge was to develop a plan to promote the Shenandoah region is a net importer of recreational protection and continued appreciation of the historic, demand. The results of the 2000 Demand-Supply-Needs cultural, and natural resources that are associated with Analysis for this region indicate a surplus of park and the battlefields and are important to the people of the open space lands. However, this abundance is due region, the Shenandoah Valley and the nation. The

198 The 2002 Virginia Outdoors Plan

Shenandoah Valley Civil War Battlefields Foundation 3. The George Washington and Jefferson National was also created to serve as a catalyst for implementing Forests completed its Revised Land and Resource the management plan. Management Plan in January 1993, which calls for additional resources to support the dispersed recre- This district contains some of the most remarkable ation associated with the forest. Under master plan and intact Civil War battlefields in the United States. goals and objectives, the forest will operate using a The landscape of the valley, its natural beauty, farms, balanced approach; recreation and conservation will small towns and tradition makes it one of the most have equal weight with other forest activities. There “characteristically American” regions in the country. will be additional facilities provided during the life of More than 325-armed conflicts took place in the eight the plan, including trails, camping, water access, nat- counties (includes all of PDC 7) that comprise the ural resource interpretation and environmental educa- SVBNHD and lay at the heart of the struggle. tion. Implementation of these recommendations According to the management plan, about 70% of the could provide new and improved recreational oppor- core areas identified in the management plan retain tunities for forest visitors. their original integrity, while only about 7% of those areas are in some way protected. Today the district 4. Local governments should support efforts to remains a vital, yet vulnerable national resource. encourage adjacent landowners, localities and plan- Protection and interpretation of the core resources ning district commissions to develop a scenic overlay should be a priority for all of the partnering agencies. zone adjacent to and within the viewshed of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive as part of a multi- The SVBNHD Management Plan outlines a program regional parkway viewshed planning process. to preserve the districts historical character, protect and interpret the Civil War battlefields and related 5. Segments of the Bullpasture, Cowpasture, Jackson, resources and increase the public’s awareness of the North and St. Mary’s rivers, as well as Back Creek, war’s legacy in the valley. The plan contains dozens of have been identified in the Forest Service’s Revised recommendations for protecting the fragile resources, Land and Resource Management Plan as eligible for providing visitor information services, interpreting consideration for potential federal Wild and Scenic the activities that occurred on particular sites, and River designation. The Virginia Department of identifying battlefield tour routes that would enable Conservation and Recreation and the Forest Service the visitor to travel among the planned visitor service will work together to determine suitability. centers. These recommendations should be imple- mented by the foundation, state and local partners, 6. Lake Moomaw and the surrounding lands are conservation organizations and/or private enterprise. administered under a cooperative arrangement among the Forest Service, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers 2. There is a need to develop a Blue Ridge Visitor and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Information Center/Services Center in the vicinity Fisheries. Because of the lake’s enormous popularity of I-64 near the intersection with Skyline Drive and and the variety of available recreational facilities, the Blue Ridge Parkway. some areas are getting overcrowded. Additional devel- received more than 1.3 million visitors in 1999 and opments are being considered and should be provided, the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia receives an esti- including a visitor center, expanded campground, a mated 10 million visitors annually. A partnership new group camp and additional trails. among the , the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the Commonwealth of Virginia and 7. Shenandoah National Park: In 1999, the park’s surrounding localities could be created to plan, build attendance exceeded 1.3 million visitors, taxing some and operate a complex near Rockfish Gap or Afton of the resources during peak periods in the prime Mountain that would complement the visitor center recreational season. Overcrowding here, as in other envisioned in the Shenandoah Battlefield National NPS units has led to overutilized resources and user Historic District. conflicts. The staff is considering several infrastructure improvements to existing areas within the park. It is also dealing with a number of significant threats to the

199 The 2002 Virginia Outdoors Plan park’s environment. Outbreaks of diseases or infesta- Natural areas tion by insects, including the gypsy moth, dogwood Cowbane Prairie Natural Area Preserve and Folly Anthracnose, and southern pine beetle are decimating Mills Fen Natural Area Preserve are both located in large tracts of valuable forest land. Problems associat- Augusta County. Deep Run Ponds Natural Area ed with certain wildlife species overpopulation, such Preserve is located in Rockingham County. as whitetail deer, and the loss of scenic vistas due to declining air quality, need to be addressed as well. US The Department of Conservation and Recreation has, Congress fixed the park at its present size, precluding as of March 2001, documented 1,187 occurrences of adjustments to the park boundaries and preventing 357 rare species and natural communities in the the resolution of some land-use conflicts at the park Central Shenandoah Planning District. Sixty-four boundaries. All these factors could significantly species are globally rare and 11 are federally threat- impact the availability and quality of recreational ened or endangered. One-hundred-and-sixty-five con- issues for future park visitors. The parks revised servation sites have been identified in the district; 101 resource management plans contain strategies for (61%) have received some level of protection through addressing these issues. ownership or management by state, federal and non- government organizations. State parks Projects identified in approved master plans need to DCR recommends that the 64 unprotected conserva- be funded. State park master plans must be revisited by tion sites be targeted for future protection efforts. The DCR staff every five years; any significant changes not appropriate method of protection will vary with each identified in the current, approved master plan, or site but may include placing the site on Virginia’s improvements/additions costing in excess of $500,000, Registry of Natural Areas, developing a voluntary must go through the public participation process. management agreement with the landowner, securing a conservation easement through a local land trust, 8. A new Master Plan adopted in acquiring the site through a locality or local land trust, dedicating the site as a natural area preserve with the 2000 recommends additional developments for the current owner, or acquiring the site as a state natural park. These include: enhancing the existing cabins, area preserve. For a discussion of the Natural Heritage adding to or improving the camping facilities, devel- Program, see Chapter III-B-2-d, page 133. oping additional equestrian and pedestrian trail oppor- tunities, and providing environmental education/visitor Public fish and game management information facilities. 10. Goshen, Highland, Little North Mountain and 9. A state park has been proposed for the central Gathright wildlife management areas all offer excel- Shenandoah Valley in either Augusta or Rockingham lent public hunting opportunities. Consideration is County. The site could take advantage of the scenic, being given to making these areas available for other cultural and historic resources, as well as the unique non-consumptive forms of recreation, such as hiking natural resources of the region. In 1999, a report pre- and nature study. Highland County, in particular, pared by DCR for the General Assembly determined needs additional hiking and camping facilities. that it would be feasible to include Natural Chimneys and Grand Cavern Regional Parks in the state parks 11. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland system, provided adequate funding is available to Fisheries is the primary agency responsible for provid- upgrade the facilities bring the facilities up to state ing boating access to the public waters of the state. park standards and provide for staffing and operating They should coordinate with all public land managing requirements. The Upper Valley Regional Park agencies, local governments and other user groups to Authority and the Department of Conversation and identify opportunities and help develop appropriate Recreation are working on a planning process that access sites on the free flowing streams of the region. could enable these resources to be incorporated into the state park system.

200 The 2002 Virginia Outdoors Plan

Other state properties 18. Back Creek and Jackson River in Bath County The following state-owned lands contain significant above Lake Moomaw. undeveloped open space that may have some potential for local recreational use. Each site should be assessed 19. Maury River in Rockbridge County from its origin west of Goshen Pass to Limekiln Bridge. and, where appropriate, some form of cooperative agree- ment should be developed, making these resources 20. The Calfpasture River in Rockbridge and Augusta available for local use as parks and open space. counties from Marble Valley to Goshen Pass. 12. Western State Hospital in Augusta County con- 21. The entire James River in Rockbridge County. tains nearly 400 acres. Because the site appears to be less than 50% developed, the potential exists for some 22. The Cowpasture River in Highland and Bath type of joint-use agreement. The hospital staff began counties from Panta to Route 42. development of an internal trail system in 1994. These facilities may offer some additional opportunities for 23. The South Fork of the Shenandoah River in use by the surrounding community. Rockingham County.

13. McCormick Farm in Rockbridge County contains 24. All of the Laurel Fork in Highland County. more than 600 acres of open space. The Cyrus McCormick Museum is operated on the property. Scenic highways and Virginia Byways There has also been a tremendous interest in “thematic” 14. The White Tract owned by Virginia Military Institute trails including Civil War trails, the Wilderness Road (VMI) in Rockbridge County contains more than 60 Trail, the Birding and Wildlife Trails, the Revolutionary acres of undeveloped open space. War trails, the African-American Heritage Trail sys- tem, and other driving tour routes. Within the Planning 15. The opportunity exists to develop or expand out- District, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields tour door recreation opportunities at the Woodrow Wilson route, the Lewis and Clark Trail and the Wilderness Rehabilitation Center in Augusta County. Greater Road Trail are regional driving trails that should be utilization of this resource could benefit the center as considered. The next logical step after the Scenic well as area residents. Roads in Virginia map would be to develop a series of regional maps or booklets that describe and help 16. The opportunity exists for expanded recreational locate the resources and services found in all sections facilities at the Blue Ridge Community College. of the state. The following roads have been recom- mended for consideration as Virginia Byways: Public water access Access to Virginia’s rivers and streams is necessary for 25. Route 250 in Highland and Augusta counties from meeting water-related recreational demands. Access the West Virginia state line to Route 42 at Churchville. considerations for the region include the following: 26. Route 60 in Rockbridge County between Buena 17. Additional public water access opportunities are Vista and the Blue Ridge Parkway. needed on most of the streams of the region, including 27. Route 42 in, Augusta, and Rockbridge counties from the Maury and James rivers in Rockbridge County, the Route 39 to Rockingham County near Harrisonburg South Fork of the Shenandoah River, and the other (in PDC 7). larger headwater streams of Highland and Bath coun- ties. Where appropriate, portages should be created 28. Route 252, from near Staunton to the intersection around dams and other river obstacles. with Route 39 in Rockbridge County.

Scenic Rivers 29. Route 608 in Rockbridge and Augusta Counties, The following river segments should be evaluated to from near Buena Vista to the intersection with Route determine their suitability as Virginia Scenic Rivers: 340 at Stuarts Draft.

201 The 2002 Virginia Outdoors Plan

Trails and greenways Additional elements of the proposed system will Local and regionally initiated trail and greenway plan- require funding in order to be completed. Once com- ning is important for identifying and providing com- pleted, the Allegheny Horse Trail will include more munities with these resources. The Department of than 70 miles of trail plus trailheads and appropriate Conservation and Recreation recommends that each overnight facilities. locality develop a trail and greenway plan as part of its comprehensive plan. In this plan, an effort should be 33. The location of Interstate Bike Route 76 should made to link existing and proposed trails and green- be refined and properly signed. ways into a regional greenways network connecting existing and proposed recreational, natural, cultural, 34. Consideration should be given to the development water, business/commercial, and other resources the of the North River Trail, a linear rails-to-trails park community deems desirable. Localities, cities and utilizing the abandoned Chesapeake Western railway counties should also determine appropriate roads for corridor along the North River and Mossy Creek from bicycle routes, and should work with the Virginia North River Gorge to Bridgewater in Augusta and Department of Transportation to develop these routes Rockingham counties. by adopting local comprehensive pedestrian and bike- way plans. as a component of their transportation plans. The Virginia Department of Transportation can include funds for bike-trail construction projects only if the bikeway plan is included in the locality’s approved transportation plan.

The following are trail/greenway proposals for this region:

30. A Staunton to Harrisonburg Rail-with-Trail could be developed along the former Norfolk-Southern rail- road corridor now owned by the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, a short line operator. The lower traffic vol- umes would seem to make a shared corridor more acceptable to the various user groups.

31. The Clifton Forge to Staunton to Waynesboro (Charlottesville) segment of the CSX Railroad was proposed for abandonment several years ago. The line is still active and was used by the Railroad Historical Society for fall-color excursions, which became popu- lar events. However, technical difficulties forced the group to cancel the excursions, but they are working to restore the popular trips. The corridor could be con- sidered for rail-with-trail usage now and rail-trail con- version should the line be abandoned.

32. The Allegheny Highlands Horse Trail: a feasibil- ity study that recommended development of a system of horse trails that would connect the Horse Center in Lexington with Douthat State Park and the Homestead was completed in 1999. An environmen- tal assessment will be completed in 2001 that identi- fies specific routes for this trail system on Forest Service Lands and within Douthat State Park.

202 Central Shenandoah PD 6

DCR Department of Conservation & Recreation CONSERVING VIRGINIA'S NATURAL AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES Table 8 Existing and Projected Needs Central Shenandoah (PD #6)

ACTIVITY ACTIVITY DAYS DEMAND UNITS TOTAL PRIVATE 2000 2010 2010 SUPPLY SUPPLY NEEDS DEMAND NEEDS Baseball 504,639 100 fields 86 4 14 106 20 Basketball 916,113 217 goals 60 6 157 231 171 Bicycling 2,336,865 166 miles NI 177 Lake, River, Bay Use (combined) 1,550,664 18,989 water acres 4,753 14,236 20,158 15,405 Power Boating 349,365 8,421 water acres S 8,939 Sailing 238,086 2,060 water acres S 2,187 Lake Fishing 749,453 4,216 water acres S 4,475 Salt Water Fishing 48,135 271 water acres S 287 Jet Ski/ Personal Watercraft (PWC) 74,531 1,168 water acres S 1,240 Water Skiing / Towed on Water 91,094 2,854 water acres S 3,030 Camping (*) 692,002 4,081 sites 2,590 1,491 4,332 1,742 Tent camping 195,644 1,154 sites 582 438 572 1,225 643 Developed camping 496,357 2,927 sites 2,008 1,195 919 3,107 1,099 Fitness Trail use 80,225 6 mile trails 7 0 -1 7 0 Fields (combined) 513,696 108 fields 61 0 47 115 54 Football 197,974 42 fields NS 44 Soccer 315,723 66 fields NS 70 Stream Use (combined) 956,743 572 stream miles 581 -9 608 27 Stream Fishing 749,453 527 stream miles S 559 Human-powered boating 135,864 35 stream miles S 37 Rafting 31,055 5 stream milesS 6 Tubing 40,371 5 stream milesS 6 Golfing 902,656 30 courses 14 13 16 32 18 Hiking/ Backpacking 605,566 311 trail miles 911 103 -600 330 -581 Horseback Riding 108,691 47 miles 377 78 -330 50 -327 In-Line Skating 72,461 5 miles NI 5 Jogging/Running 1,850,341 148 mile trailsNI 157 S - same as combined NS - not inventoried separately NI - not inventoried (-) - indicates surplus * - 79.6 % of 2000 Virginia Outdoor Survey respondents preferred developed campsites 20.4 % of 2000 Virginia Outdoor Survey respondents preferred primitive campsites Note: Demand multipliers used to create this chart are based on the findings of the Virginia Outdoors Survey as measured at the regional level. In regions with significant contrasts in population den- sity and demographics, need results may show surpluses where none exist, especially in sparsely populated counties.Additional analysis will be required to adjust these results to local conditions. Existing and Projected Needs Central Shenandoah (PD #6) Continued

ACTIVITY ACTIVITY DAYS DEMAND UNITS TOTAL PRIVATE 2000 2010 2010 SUPPLY SUPPLY NEEDS DEMAND NEEDS Nature Study/ Programs 86,953 12 sites 1 11 13 12 Picnicking Away from Home 460,644 1,196 tables 3,325 529 -2,129 1,270 -2,055 Skateboarding 69,873 21 sites NI 23 Snow Skiing or Snowboarding 105,586 3 ski lifts 9 9 -6 3 -6 Softball 486,523 87 fields 81 6 6 92 11 Sunbathing/ Relaxing on Beach 632,222 45 beach acres 34 7 11 48 14 Swimming Outdoor Area 440,976 45 beach acres 34 17 11 48 14 Swimming Outdoor Pools 606,860 26 pools 33 4 -7 27 -6 Swimming Indoor Pools 210,137 2 pools 6 43 -4 3 -3 Tennis 323,486 202 courts 149 11 53 215 66 Used a Playground 838,476 119 sites 121 -2 127 6 Visiting Gardens 71,426 8 sites NI 8 Visiting Historic Sites 352,988 30 sites NI 32 Visiting Natural Areas 336,426 57 sites NI 60 Volleyball 65,991 20 courts 4 0 16 21 17 Went Hunting 615,918 101,004 acres 657,014 -556,010 107,221 -549,793 Went Shooting Total 463,750 262 fields NI 278 Target 205,996 116 fields NI 124 Skeet or Trap 105,586 60 fields 4 56 63 59 Other 51,758 29 fields NI 31 Drive for Pleasure 2,527,075 na na NI na Motorcycle/ATV (combined) 231,616 106 miles 29 0 77 112 83 Driving All-Terrain Vehicle 165,625 76 miles NS 80 Driving Motorcycle Off-Road 65,991 30 miles NS 32 Driving 4-Wheel-Drive Off-Road 175,459 na na NI na Walking for Pleasure 7,776,609 na na NI na Other 175,977 na na NI na S - same as combined NS - not inventoried separately NI - not inventoried (-) - indicates surplus