Bear Rocks Preserve | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1] | |
View from Bear Rocks | |
Location | Grant County & Tucker County, West Virginia, United States |
Coordinates | 39°04′23″N 79°17′53″W / 39.07306°N 79.29806°W |
Area | 477 acres (193 ha)[2] |
Elevation | 3,999 ft (1,219 m)[3] |
Website | Bear Rocks Preserve |
Bear Rocks is a widely recognized symbol of West Virginia wilderness and among the most frequently photographed places in the state. It is a well-known landmark on the eastern edge of the plateau that includes the Dolly Sods Wilderness. It sits in a high-elevation heathland punctuated with wind-carved sandstone outcrops and is home to more than a dozen rare plant and animal species. Situated on the crest of the Allegheny Front, Bear Rocks afford vistas over the South Branch Potomac River. Visibility can extend eastward to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
The Bear Rocks Preserve is a 477-acre (1.93 km2) tract owned and preserved by The Nature Conservancy.