Roanoke, Va.—March 26, 2020— George Washington and Jefferson National Forest officials are temporarily shutting down use of all campgrounds, bathrooms, OHV trails, trail shelters and many day-use areas. We are committed to the health and safety of recreational visitors and our staff, and are taking these actions in accordance with USDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Campgrounds and picnic shelters are temporarily unavailable for reservation on Recreation.gov. Those already holding reservations will be notified as soon as possible and refunds will be processed. Processing refunds may be delayed, however, due to the volume of cancellations. We appreciate your patience during this time.
As we work through an unpredictable and rapidly changing situation, health and safety is our number one priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and are responding to current conditions as we all work together to minimize the impacts and spread of COVID-19.
Contact a District Office for status updates on George Washington and Jefferson National Forests facilities and sites, or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/gwj/recreation.
Please remember to review current recommendations from CDC at www.cdc.gov and focus on recreating safely while protecting yourself, Forest Service employees and our volunteers.
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Roanoke, VA. – March 26, 2020 – The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are shutting down Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail systems. This applies to the following OHV areas:
Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District – South Pedlar ATV Trail System
Lee Ranger District – Peters Mill Run/Taskers Gap OHV System
These actions are consistent with federal and state health and safety direction to help reduce the impact on emergency responders and limit the spread of COVID-19. Use of the OHV trails strains emergency resources, especially search and rescue crews, at a time when the resources are already limited within the local communities.
Contact a District Office for status updates on George Washington and Jefferson National Forests facilities and sites, or visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/gwj/recreation.
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