Saint Mary's Wilderness

Saint Mary's Wilderness, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, ranges in elevation from 1,700 feet to 3,640 feet and includes the upper portion of the Saint Mary's River watershed, including the Cellar Hollow and Spy Run drainages. The Wilderness is dominated by the Saint Mary's River, which narrows to a rhododendron- and mountain-laurel-lined gorge for over a mile and features a significant waterfall. This rugged area is also dissected by tributary streams and is comprised primarily of the southern Appalachian hardwood ecosystem. The area was mined for iron ore and manganese until the mid-1900s, and evidence of those activities remains along the Saint Mary's River gorge. The area contains approximately 17 miles of trail. Past flood events have changed the St. Mary's River channel and altered sections of the St. Mary's Trail.