The Jefferson has several top-notch areas to explore. The Mount Rogers National Recreation is a real hub of activity. It encircles Virginia's highest peak, rocky Mount Rogers. The area was developed as a recreation hub. You'll find over 400 miles of maintained trails, including 60 miles of the Appalachian Trail, 18 miles of the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail, and 67 miles of the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail. And Mount Rogers NRA has over 10,000 acres of wilderness. Quite a package.

The Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area is, perhaps, best known for its prominent mountains, including Mount Pleasant, Pompey Mountain, and Cole Mountain. Other features include the small virgin groves of hardwood forest in Little Cove Creek, and wild trout streams. The majority of the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area is steep, rugged terrain with numerous springs and steep cascading streams, surface boulders, massive rock outcrops, cliffs, and pinnacles.

The forest has 11 - count 'em - 11 wilderness areas. The best known is the Lewis Fork, through which the Appalachian Trail weaves for about five miles. Less famous treasures include St. Marys Wilderness, where you'll find vast quartzite rock slides, a double waterfall, and miniature canyons of angular rocks along heavily forested river banks.

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