Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve

Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve is a 1,404-acre protected area on Poor Mountain in Virginia managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. It conserves pine-oak and heath woodland growing on slopes formed by metamorphosed sandstone and supports plant communities shaped by the mountain’s thin, infertile soils. The preserve is most significant for safeguarding the world’s largest population of piratebush, Buckleya distichophylla, a globally rare parasitic shrub. Its habitats also include Table Mountain pine, eastern hemlock, several oaks, huckleberry, mountain laurel, and fetterbush. The area is open to the public, with a small parking area and about four miles of trails.

Virginia · United States