| Cranberry Wilderness | |
|---|---|
| IUCN category Ib (wilderness area) | |
 Cranberry Wilderness | |
  Location of Cranberry Wilderness in West Virginia | |
| Location | West Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°16′36″N 80°19′57″W / 38.27667°N 80.33250°W / 38.27667; -80.33250 |
| Area | 47,815 acres (193.50 km) |
| Elevation | 3,400 ft (1,000 m) |
| Established | 1983-01-01 |
| Operator | Monongahela National Forest |
| Website | Monongahela National Forest Wilderness Areas |
The Cranberry Wilderness is a 47,815-acre (19,350 ha) U.S. wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest of southeast West Virginia, United States. Its name derives from the nearby Cranberry Glades as well as from the Cranberry River and Cranberry Mountain. In addition to being wilderness, it is a designated black bear sanctuary.
Geography
The Cranberry Wilderness is located mostly in Pocahontas County (West Virginia, USA), with a small portion in Webster County. The wilderness is drained by the Williams River and the Cranberry River, both of which are tributaries of the Gauley River, which in turn unites with the New River to form the Kanawha, a tributary of the Ohio river. The area just to the east of the Cranberry Wilderness is drained by tributaries of the Greenbrier River which flows into the New.
The wilderness is located in the Yew Mountains, which are part of the Allegheny Mountains. The highest point in the wilderness is along Black Mountain at 4,556 feet (1,389 m), although there is a slightly higher point at 4,603 feet (1,403 m) just outside the wilderness. The lowest elevation in the wilderness is at 2,400 feet (730 m) along the Williams River at Three Forks of Williams River, where it exits the wilderness.
History
Wilderness designation
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2013) |
Counterculture events
The national Rainbow Gathering has been held twice at the Cranberry Wilderness — in 1980 and in 2005.
2009 addition
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 added 11,951 acres (4,836 ha) of adjacent land to the Cranberry Wilderness. This area, which was previously known as the Cranberry Backcountry, is located between the Williams River and the Cranberry River. It protects several tributaries of both the Williams and Cranberry Rivers which are popular trout streams. The area now has a trail system connected to the original wilderness.
Hiking trails
- Big Beechy Trail – 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometers)
- Birch Log Trail – 3.0 miles (4.8 kilometers)
- Black Mountain Trail – 2.0 miles (3.2 kilometers)
- County Line Trail – 9.5 miles (15.3 kilometers)
- District Line Trail – 3.0 miles (4.8 kilometers)
- Forks of the Cranberry Trail – 6.0 miles (9.7 kilometers)
- North South Trail – 14.0 miles (22.5 kilometers)
- Forks By-Pass Trail – 2.0 miles (3.2 kilometers)
- Middle Fork Trail – 9.0 miles (14.5 kilometers)
- North Fork Trail – 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometers)
- Laurelly Branch Trail – 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers)
- Tumbling Rock Trail – 2.5 miles (4.0 kilometers)
- Little Fork Trail – 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers)
- Lick Branch Trail – 2.1 miles (3.4 kilometers)
- Rough Run Trail – 3.0 miles (4.8 kilometers)
Mineral resources
The Cranberry Wilderness has been evaluated for its mineral resource potential by the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines. While the area is largely valued for its natural beauty and ecological significance, studies have identified some mineral deposits within its boundaries.
Coal
Bituminous coal deposits are present, primarily in the northern regions of the wilderness. Estimates suggest a total reserve base of approximately 4.18 million metric tons, with around 1.68 million metric tons considered recoverable. However, due to the wilderness designation, these resources remain untapped.
See also
References
- "Cranberry Wilderness". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Cranberry Wilderness". Monongahela National Forest. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- "Rainbow Gathering – Listing of North American Annual Sites". Rainbow Family of Living Light – Unofficial. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
- "Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009". Library of Congress. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- "Cranberry Wilderness brochure" (PDF). Monongahela National Forest. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
- ^ Mineral resources of the Cranberry Wilderness study area, Webster and Pocahontas counties, West Virginia, with sections on peat resources, oil and gas potential, and geochemical survey (Report). US Geological Survey. 1981.
External links
- Cranberry Wilderness map
- Wilderness.net Archived 2004-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Cranberry Wilderness, West Virginia – GORP
- TopoQuest topographic map
- West Virginia Wilderness Coalition
| Monongahela National Forest | |
|---|---|
| National Recreation Areas | |
| Wilderness areas | |
| Mountains and summits | |
| Rivers and creeks | |
| Canyons and valleys | |
| Lakes and bogs | |
| Observation towers | |
| Other features | |
| US Forest Service | |