Chestnut Ridge Natural Area Preserve
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| Chestnut Ridge Natural Area Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
  | |
| Location | Giles and Bland counties, Virginia |
| Nearest city | Narrows, Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°17′47″N 80°58′54″W / 37.29634851038942°N 80.98157194066175°W[1] |
| Area | 1,596 acres (646 ha) |
| Established | 2006 |
| Owner | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| www | |
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]
