Near Fayetteville in Fayette County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Forever Changing Forest
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 20, 2025
1. Forever Changing Forest Marker
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve runs through the western edge of the central Appalachian Mountains, an area changed over time be natural growth, disease, insect invaders, weather, fire, and human activities. One species, the American chestnut, became nearly extinct from a fungal blight brought to the US in 1904, and event resulting in changes to forest composition. Today, only a few trees remain in scattered stands, with chestnut stumps and saplings the only evidence of a tree that was once a dominant species in eastern deciduous hardwood forests.
[Sidebar:]
Troublesome Pests like the non-native hemlock woolly adelgid continue to impact today's changing forest.
First reported in the eastern US in 1951, these insects attach to the underside of hemlock needles and produce a white wool that covers the insect and their eggs while they feed on sap. The trees then lose their needles, cease producing new ones, turn gray, and usually die in four to ten years.
The National Park Service strives to protect native species, but won't be able to save them all. What other species might take the place of hemlocks in this forest?
Erected by National
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1904.
Location. 38° 3.248′ N, 81° 4.616′ W. Marker is near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in Fayette County. It is on Long Point Trail north of Butchers Bridge Trail, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the Long Point Hiking Trail within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fayetteville WV 25840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the New River Gorge and in Greater Charleston Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
Photographed by Tom Bosse, September 20, 2025
2. Forever Changing Forest Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 23 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 1, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
