George Washington
& Jefferson National Forests

View Shoe Creek Map

The red trail is the main and only legal part of the trail. Any off shoot off the main trail is Illegal. As you can see it also boarders the Priest, this is a designated wilderness which means if you are caught on it with a mechanized vehicle you can be prosecuted. The white areas are privately owned land, so unless you have permission from the land owners you should not be up there. This land is owned as hunting property, and there have been problems in the past during hunting season.

The VA4WDA is asking everyone to follow and stay on the designated trail. The actions of a few can destroy the progress of many and as you have seen with Tellico- we are at risk of losing our trails. Everyone should follow and practice Tread Lightly.

Gregg Jackson has been in contact with the Rangers for this area, and they have asked that we try to keep folks out of the area due to the increase of illegal activity and illegal wheeling. If you choose to go wheeling in Shoe Creek you must stay on the designated trail and if you see others off the trail or abusing the area please take a picture and turn it over the Rangers. We have to fight to keep our access and we have to prove that we are responsible users.

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) - National forest officials have charged 39 off-road enthusiasts with damaging sections of the Jefferson National Forest... Complete article and response

The area often used by four wheel drive enthusiasts known as "Devils Ditch" is off limits. This area is in parts of Green and Madison Counties along with Shenandoah National Park and State Wildlife Management Areas, and is properly known as the Conway River Trail. Its one of those quiet trails that some people know about and others don't. Some of the problems are that the borders are not real clear; the actual trail was a historical road and is officially closed to motorized traffic.

Ranger Lora Peppers, of the SNP, has made it clear there is no legal motorized vehicle use of the Conway River Trail, within the park period! So, between crossing over unmarked private property, unintended use of State Wildlife Management Areas and illegal entry into SNP, we need to inform all of the clubs that this area is officially closed.

VA4WDA - Land Use Committee

Use our ONLINE Form  or  Download Land Use Worksheet  

When participating in a trail clean, work detail fixing a trail, road or some other project, please take a minute and fill out a VA4WDA Land Use Work Sheet. Keeping a complete and accurate record of our visits, trail clean-ups and any other type of work we do in the National Forest or Parks is very important. Documentation is a very important tool when presenting before a government agency and we need to be able to present a record of our presence and accomplishments.

Please forward a copy of your completed worksheet to our Land Use Chairperson - Gregg Jackson. His contact information can be found here.

Document, Document, Document! He needs all the records he can get.