Chestnut Ridge Natural Area Preserve

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]

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[1]
Area	1,596 acres (646 ha)
Established	2006
Owner	Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/chestnutridge

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]

See also

• List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves