Bluestone National Scenic River protects a 4,310-acre corridor along 10.5 miles of the Bluestone River in southern West Virginia, preserving a free-flowing Appalachian gorge of notable scenic, geological, and biological value. Established in 1988 under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, it includes a deep river-cut canyon through sedimentary rock, rich forest habitats with more than a thousand plant species, about 200 recorded bird species, and healthy warm-water aquatic life. The river corridor also preserves a long human history, from American Indian use and archaeological sites to later settlement, the lost community of Lilly, and the historic Bluestone Turnpike, now the main trail through one of the region’s most secluded gorges.