ROANOKE, Va. ( WFXR ) – The George Washington and Jefferson Forest reopens areas that suffered damage and closed after Hurricane Helene.
Areas in the Clinch Ranger District and Mount Rogers National Recreational areas have been reopened as the forest continues to assess areas that were under partial use.
However, some forest roads and trails are still temporarily closed after the storm and are under recovery efforts.
Reopened areas in the Clinch Ranger District:
- Forest Service Trail #216, Guest River Gorge Trail
- Birch Knob Observation Tower
Some developed recreation sites have closed for winter. Please check the Forest website for details ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/gwj ).
198 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway now reopened
Mount Rogers has managed lands in the Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe Counties have reopened under these circumstances:
Smyth County:
- Hurricane Campground is closed for the remainder of the season due to damage from flooding and downed trees.
- Grindstone Campground is closed for the remainder of the season due to downed and leaning trees.
- Raccoon Branch Campground is closed due to downed and leaning trees but may open in November.