Virgin Falls State Natural Area

An overview of its history, ecology, geology, and recreational use.

About Virgin Falls SNA

Virgin Falls State Natural Area Locater Map

Virgin Falls SNA is located in White County, Tennessee, located approximately halfway between Sparta and Crossville off highway 70. It is adjacent to the  Bridgestone-Firestone Centennial Wilderness Wildlife Management Area  (TWRA) and the  Bridgestone Nature Reserve at Chestnut Mountain  (Nature Conservancy of Tennessee). Lost Creek State Natural Area is a 7.7 mile hike away from Virgin Falls and a 33.5 mile drive away.

This SNA is composed of 1,157 acres and 10.9 miles of trail. It is home to two streams, Big Laurel Creek and Little Laurel Creek, and the lower boundaries of the natural area abut the Caney Fork River. It is home to four waterfalls, countless smaller cascades, and numerous caves which are closed to the public [18].


History

1973

  • The Virgin Falls set aside as a Bowater Pocket Wilderness by Bowater Pulp and Paper Corporation, making it the first of seven such Pocket Wildernesses set aside by Bowater during this time period [3].

Historic "Virgin Falls Bowater Pocket Wilderness" as archived by  Natural Atlas 

2005

  • Bowater Inc. announces divestment of approximately 250,000 acres in Tennessee, including many areas the state had previously identified by as being priority areas for conservation [8]

2006

  • In November, Governor Bredesen announces State of Tennessee's purchase of the Bowater lease which includes the former Bowater Pocket Wilderness, recently designated a State Natural Area [14]. Ownership of the land remains in the hands of four private entities with the lease ending within the next few years, leaving the land at risk of being developed in the near future [8].

2012

  • On November 6th it is announced that The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) purchased Virgin Falls State Natural area for $1.8 million with the assistance of;
  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with $1.5 million in grant funds
  • The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency with $300,000
  • TennGreen Land Conservancy (also known as The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation) with $107,530 in fundraiser funds

[10]

"The number of private and governmental entities that came together to accomplish this acquisition is a testament to cooperation for the greater public good," - Ed Carter, TWRA executive director from 2009-2020

2013

  • On December 11th Gov. Bill Haslam, representatives of TDEC, TennGreen, and the public attended the official dedication ceremony celebrating the protection of 1,157 acres within the bounds of Virgin Falls State Natural Area [6].

Comparison of the historic Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness and present day Virgin Falls State Natural Area


Ecology

Virgin Falls SNA has a wide variety of habitats within its bounds. The upper portion of the SNA is composed of upland oak-hickory/chestnut oak hardwood forest, plantation forests, calcareous forests, and successional habitats along with drainage areas dominated by ferns. Hiking into the gorge the landscape transitions into hemlock, mixed mesophytic forests, woodlands, and hardwood forests.

The above maps compare the location of habitats and priority habitats for conservation within Virgin Falls SNA based on 2015 SWAP data.

59% of the habitats within Virgin Falls SNA are high priority areas for habitat conservation. The greatest concentration of high priority habitat areas are within the remotest portion of the SNA.

0.55% of the habitats are very high priority conservation habitats. These habitats primarily occur within the remotest portion of the SNA near the Caney Fork River. Other very high priority habitats are located at the beginning of the trail and are therefore more vulnerable to human actions.

The vast majority (17% of the overall SNA) of the upper region is classified as very low priority [14].


Geology

Recreational Use

------------------------------------------------------------------------ Citations ----------------------------------------------------------------

[1] Bangor Limestone and Hartselle Formation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=TNMbh%3B3

[2] Crab Orchard Mountains Group, including Rockcastle Conglomerate, Vandever Formation, Newton Sandstone, Whitwell Shale, and Sewanee Conglomerate. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=TNPAco%3B8

[3] Dunigan, T. (n.d.). Virgin Falls. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://tnlandforms.us/pockets/vf.html

[4] GBIF.org (2 December 2020) GBIF Occurrence Download  https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.2rd9dt 

[5] Gizzard Group, including Signal Point Shale, Warren Point Sandstone, and Raccoon Mountain Formation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=TNPAg%3B8

[6] Governor Haslam to Dedicate Virgin Falls State Natural Area. (2013, December 09). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.tn.gov/former-governor-haslam/news/2013/12/9/governor-haslam-to-dedicate-virgin-falls-state-natural-area.html

[7] Gulden, B. (2020, June 01). USA Longest Caves. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from http://www.caverbob.com/usalong.htm

[8] Mullinix, H. (2014, March 21). ROAD TRIP: Virgin Falls a natural treasure. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.crossville-chronicle.com/news/lifestyles/road-trip-virgin-falls-a-natural-treasure/article_e050977d-76ca-56cf-a221-9763cb2c983b.html

[9] Pennington Formation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=TNMp%3B10

[10] Simmons, M. (2012, November 16). State Acquires Virgin Falls. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/state-acquires-virgin-falls-ep-359623576-356435851.html/

[11] Sutherland, C. Tennessee Geology 240K. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from http://chuck-sutherland.blogspot.com/2015/12/tennessees-eastern-highland-rim-part-1.html

[12] Sutherland, C. (2015, December 28). Tennessee's Eastern Highland Rim - Part 1 - Geology. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from http://chuck-sutherland.blogspot.com/2015/12/tennessees-eastern-highland-rim-part-1.html

[13] Tennessee Buys 12,500 Acres of Bowater Land. (2006, November 27). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.chattanoogan.com/2006/11/27/97339/Tennessee-Buys-12500-Acres-of-Bowater.aspx

[14] Tennessee State Wildlife Action Plan (TN-SWAP) 2015 Habitat Priorities. (2015, November 2). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://databasin.org/galleries/fa603874b3824631988e814fd44f78c5

[15] U. (n.d.). Monteagle Limestone. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit.php?unit=TNMm%3B3

[16] Virgin Falls Pocket Wilderness. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://naturalatlas.com/map/@35.841160,-85.315189,14z

[17] Virgin Falls SNA. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlife/viewing-area/east-tennessee/virgin-falls-sna.html

[18] Virgin Falls. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/na-natural-areas/natural-areas-middle-region/middle-region/na-na-virgin-falls.html