Monongahela National Forest

Monongahela National Forest
View from the slopes of Back Allegheny Mountain looking east. Visible are Allegheny Mountain (middle distance) and Shenandoah Mountain (far distance). The latter is in the George Washington National Forest of Virginia
Location of Monongahela National Forest
Location	West Virginia, United States
Coordinates	38°55′45″N 79°50′52″W / 38.92917°N 79.84778°W / 38.92917; -79.84778
Area	921,150 acres (3,727.8 km2)[1]
Established	April 28, 1920
Named for	Monongahela River, in whose watershed much of the original forest was located
Website	Monongahela National Forest

The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over 921,000 acres (3,727 km²; 1,439 sq mi) of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres (6,880 km²; 2,656 sq mi) proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.^[2]

The Monongahela National Forest includes some major landform features such as the Allegheny Front and the western portion of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. Within the forest boundaries lie some of the highest mountain peaks in the state, including the highest, Spruce Knob (4,863 ft). Spruce Knob is also the highest point in the Allegheny Mountains. Approximately 75 tree species are found in the forest. Almost all of the trees are a second growth forest, grown back after the land was heavily cut over around the start of the 20th century. Species for which the forest is important include red spruce (Picea rubens), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), and mountain ash (Sorbus americana).

The Monongahela National Forest includes eight U.S. Wilderness Areas and several special-use areas, notably the Spruce Knob–Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area.