The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests form a combined U.S. Forest Service unit in the Appalachian Mountains across Virginia, West Virginia, and a small part of Kentucky. Covering about 1.8 million acres, they include vast remote land, federally protected wilderness, old-growth forest, and more than 2,000 miles of trails, including part of the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Created separately in 1918 and 1936 and joined administratively in 1995, they contain Mount Rogers, historic and natural sites, and diverse wildlife. The area has also figured in conservation history and recent protests over the Mountain Valley Pipeline route.