National Forests

CIRCLEVILLE, W.Va. — Firefighters in West Virginia continue to make progress in ending the Woodside Fire in the Monongahela National Forest, with containment now at 75 percent. Cooler temperatures and weekend precipitation have helped moderate fire behavior. Crews used the favorable conditions to construct additional handline and dozer line along the 385-acre fire’s perimeter, according … Read more

LANEVILLE, W.Va. — At more than 4,000 feet above sea level, the Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia has become one of the most recognizable outdoor recreation destinations in the Appalachian Mountains. Once considered remote and difficult to reach, the completion of the US-48 expressway from Washington, D.C., has dramatically changed how people experience the … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — Officials at the Monongahela National Forest have announced the 2024 opening dates for developed recreation sites across the 921,000-acre forest in eastern West Virginia. Campground and picnic shelter reservations for some sites may be made at Recreation.gov, and roadside camping, or dispersed camping, is available in much of the forest year-round. According to … Read more

NEOLA, W.Va. — Officials with the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia are soliciting applications from people interested in operating and maintaining the boat rental facilities at Lake Sherwood Recreation Area. The boat rental area at Lake Sherwood includes a boat rental registration and storage building with electrical service, a parking area, a concrete boat … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — West Virginia has been asked to furnish a second Christmas tree to Washington, D.C., this year — to appear on the Ellipse near the Washington Monument. While a first tree is being delivered to the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol, a second tree has been raised at the White House near … Read more

HARMAN, W.Va. — A West Virginia-grown Christmas tree harvested in the Monongahela National Forest will adorn the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in 2023 — the third time a West Virginia tree has appeared on the grounds that look across the National Mall toward the Lincoln Memorial. The first and second … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — Most of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is open year-round, closing only when access roads are snow-covered, though some developed campgrounds, picnic areas, and visitor centers routinely close from late fall through mid-spring. According to forest service media contact Kelly Bridges, officials have posted the following seasonal closures for winter … Read more

ELKINS, W.Va. — Staff at the Monongahela National Forest in eastern West Virginia plan to conduct prescribed burns and pile burns in Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Grant, and Pendleton counties this fall and winter, weather permitting. According to Kelly Bridges, a spokesperson for the service, the burns help re-establish fire’s natural role in the forest ecosystem, improve … Read more

MARLINTON, W.Va. — Officials at the Monongahela National Forest are inviting the public to visit the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center for its annual Native Orchid Tour Saturday, June 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program begins at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center with a presentation followed by a guided trip to Cranberry Glades … Read more