page_title: Shaw Gap
section_title: Location and access
hierarchical_section_title: Shaw Gap / Location and access
caption_attribution_description: English: Boundary of the Shaw Gap wildland in the Jefferson National Forest as identified by the Wilderness Society
context_page_description: Shaw Gap is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a “Mountain Treasure”.
  The Iron Mountain Trail, passing through the center of the area along Iron Mountain, was once the site of the Appalachian Trail and, consequently, received protection not found on other trails. Older trees are found along many sections of the trail. The area has plentiful wildlife, and the site of an old homestead is still visible. The forest service classifies a large section of the area as having unspoiled scenic beauty.
  The area is part of the Mount Rogers Cluster.
context_section_description: The area is located in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Virginia about 2.7 miles northwest of Konnarock, Virginia between USFS Rd 90 on the west and Va 600 on the east.  It lies between the Feathercamp wild area and the Seng Mountain National Scenic Area.
  Trails and roads into the area include:
  Beaver Gap, FS (Forest Service) 4551, 3.1 miles, moderate difficulty, yellow diamond blaze, hiking and mountain biking
  Beaver Flats,  FS 4611, 0.3 miles, easy, no blaze, hiking
  Chestnut Ridge, FS 4542, 1.8 miles, difficult, yellow triangle blaze, hiking , mountain biking, horses
  Iron Mountain, FS 301, 6.3 miles, moderate, yellow blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses and motorcycles
  Iron Mountain Spur A, FS 4641, 0.7 miles, easy, yellow blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses, motorcycles
  Lum, FS 4544, 1.0 miles, moderate, yellow diamond blaze, hiking and mountain biking
  Rush, FS 4565, 1.8 miles, difficult, yellow square blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses
  Shaw Gap, FS 4545, 1.0 miles, moderate, yellow square blaze, hiking, mountain biking
  Skulls Gap FS 4637, 1.0 miles, moderate, no blaze, hiking, mountain biking, horses
  Straight Branch, FS 168, 1.5 miles, moderate, yellow triangle blaze, hiking, mountain biking
  The boundary of the wildland as determined by the Wilderness Society is shown in the adjacent map.  Additional roads and trails are given on National Geographic Maps 786 (Mount Rogers). and Map 318 (Mount Rogers High Country)  A great variety of information, including topographic maps, aerial views, satellite data and weather information, is obtained by selecting the link with the wild land’s coordinates  in the upper right of this page.
  Beyond maintained trails, old logging roads can be used to explore the area.  The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are  becoming overgrown but still passable. Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Shaw Gap wildarea is covered by USGS topographic maps Konnarock and Whitetop Mountain.
  The Beartree Recreation area, to the south, offers camping and hiking as well as swimming and fishing in 
  Beartree Lake.
caption: Shaw Gap wild area
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