Chestnut_Ridge_Natural_Area_Preserve
Chestnut Ridge Natural Area Preserve
Nature preserve in Virginia, United States
Chestnut Ridge Natural Area Preserve is a Natural Area Preserve located in Giles and Bland counties, Virginia. A 1,596-acre (646 ha) tract of old-growth forest, it is dominated by northern red oak and chestnut oak. The extent of unbroken forest on the property is unusual for southwestern Virginia; many of the trees, including cucumber magnolia and American basswood, are between three and four hundred years old.[2]
The preserve was privately owned from its establishment in 2006 until 2020, when the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation purchased the property.[3]
In May 2023, the preserve expanded by 775 acres to its current size, adding 1.5 miles of riparian forest along Dry Fork, a stream that contains native trout.[4]
