On Wednesday, May 5, AGC members went for a hike through Ramseys Draft with our very own Lacey Dean, Outreach Coordinator for the Virginia Wilderness Committee.
Here in Augusta County, we are fortunate to have two designated Wilderness areas. One is Saint Mary’s Wilderness, in the southeastern part of the county, and then 22 miles west of Staunton lies Ramseys Draft Wilderness. Designated by congress in 1984, the 6,518-acres of Ramseys Draft is where to go to escape from it all. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources has designated it a Virginia Bird & Wildlife Trail because of the old growth forests, including large maples, oaks, hickories, and few remaining large hemlocks that line the creek bed. Ramseys Draft is popular among birders because it provides nesting grounds for neotropical migrants that typically nest at high elevations.
The lower portion of the area was a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp from 1933-37. The CCC was responsible for creating many of the trails that are still used today, including Ramseys Draft Trail, which was a former road, and Jerrys Run. Nearby is the AGC’s Ramseys Draft Nature Trail, which the AGC designed and managed from 1940-1962, when management was then passed back to the Forest Service. Over the years, the location of the stream has shifted, especially after hurricanes, which has changed the location of the trail.
