West Virginia · National Park & Preserve trail

Burnwood Trail Stop 9: Old-Growth Complexity

in West Virginia

Old-Growth Forest Hike Stop 9 - Old-Growth Complexity This large oak tree fell and took out a few other trees with it during a snowstorm in January 2024. Infrequent disturbance events like storms and low-intensity wildfires that knock over and kill a small percentage of trees within the forest are an important ecosystem process. These fallen trees are not necessarily a bad thing, disturbances like this are part of the processes that add complexity to an old-growth forest.

When this tree fell the root ball came with it, creating a large pit in the ground. Pit and mound topography is a defining characteristic of old-growth forests and these features can last on the landscape for centuries. The pit will eventually fill up from the dirt that erodes off the root ball, creating an obvious mound.

Look to your left off trail and you will see an old mound from a tree that probably fell decades ago. Now that the snowstorm blew over these trees, more coarse woody debris is on the forest floor that will slowly decompose, recycling nutrients and creating new wildlife habitat. A beam of light now shines through the opening in the canopy, allowing for young tree seedlings to grow.

States: West Virginia
Trail type: National Park & Preserve trail
Centroid nearest city: Greensboro, NC · 156 mi · ~4 hr drive
Centroid coords: 38.0777°, -81.0758°

About New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

National Park & Preserve

This trail is inside New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, a national park & preserve managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/burnwood-trail-stop-9-old-growth-complexity.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/neri/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Burnwood Trail Stop 9: Old-Growth Complexity and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.