About the Chief Benge Trail

The Chief Benge Trail is a 24 mile trail running through the Jefferson National Forest on the boundary of Wise and Scott Counties. The trail links Norton's Flag Rock Recreation Area on the west to the Little Stony Creek Trail (a Federally Designated National Recreation trail) on the east and is currently used by hikers, joggers, runners, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The Chief Benge Trail enables trail users to continue from the waterfalls of Little Stony Creek up to Bark Camp and High Knob Lakes and on to the peak of High Knob, then down into Norton's Flag Rock Recreation Area.

Funding has recently been granted to the Scott County Regional Horse Association to build the High Knob Multi-use Trail, a 25 mile trail running from the Dungannon side of the mountain up into the National Forest. The High Knob Multi-use Trail will connect to the Chief Benge Trail along existing Forest Service trails. The Scott County Regional Horse Association envisions using the Chief Benge Trail as part of an expansive trail network which will attract equestrian tourists to the region. Future linkages to the Chief Benge Trail may include a trail to Big Stone Gap's Big Cherry Reservoir and to the Devil's Bathtub Trail.
Interested in hiking the Chief Benge?  Find trail information HERE.

About the Trail Renovation Project

The Chief Benge Trail Renovation project is the first phase of a multi-year effort to increase the accessibility of the High Knob area of the Jefferson National Forest. The entire project will involve rehabilitating existing trails within the National Forest and linking them to local cities. The goal is to allow hiking, biking, jogging, running, and horseback-riding close to home for residents and to add more facilities for an increasing ecotourism industry in the region.

The Chief Benge Trail is the primary trail running through the High Knob region of the Jefferson National Forest.  Currently, the trail has been degraded by use and contains several unmanaged creek crossings. A bridge and boardwalk have washed out and need to be replaced to make the trail usable.

Phase 1 of the project, to be funded by a $40,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's Recreational Trails Fund Program, encompasses a major restoration of the Chief Benge Scout Trail. The primary goal of the project is to bring the Chief Benge Trail up to standard and to add interpretive facilities. The trail will be blazed and signs will be added to make the trail easy to follow. Deadfalls and brush will be cleared. Two kiosks will be added at High Knob and Bark Camp Lake parking lots including maps and interpretation. These interpretive kiosks will provide some degree of handicapped accessibility since wheelchairs would not be able to traverse the steep trail. The current trail negatively impacts the surrounding environment due to erosion at creek crossings. The Chief Benge Trail Restoration Project will involve construction of stepping stones, boardwalk, and a bridge in wet areas to prevent the existing erosion.

Partners

The Benge Trail Renovation Project has received widespread community support and no opposition. Local town and county governments support the project as a recreation opportunity and as a potential source of income through tourism. Ecotourism-related small businesses and local tourism agencies foresee a direct increase in revenue as the trails in the National Forest become renovated and are linked into a far-reaching trail system. Equestrian groups and community groups appreciate the recreation facilities.

The Benge Trail Renovation Project is primarily a partnership between the Forest Service and the Clinch Coalition with funding from the Virginia Recreational Trails Fund. The Forest Service is donating the services of their trail technicians while the Clinch Coalition has committed to 400 hours of volunteer time during the grant period. The Virginia Recreational Trails Fund has committed $40,000 to the project.

In addition to the project sponsors, a variety of other groups have offered their services in phase 1 and have also proposed additional linkages for future phases of the project:

• The Norton Kiwanis Club has already worked with the Forest Service to link the west end of Chief Benge Trail with Norton's Flag Rock Recreation area. The club plans to continue maintaining this portion of the trail and hopes to expand the trail system.

• Big Stone Gap is currently devising a management plan for their Big Cherry Reservoirwatershed which abuts the National Forest. The town hopes to build trails from Big Cherry Reservoir into the National Forest which will link up with the Chief Benge Trail.

• Boy Scout troops from the surrounding communities of Norton, Wise, Coeburn, Big Stone Gap and Nickelsville have worked on the Chief Benge Scout Trail in the past and have indicated their willingness to volunteer their time to help with the renovation project and to assist in the upkeep of the trail. They were very much involved in its innovation and development and thus its name.

• The Coeburn Ecology Club has committed to spending 64 hours working on the trail during the grant period.

• Wise Lumber & Supply Co., Inc., has committed to donate $500 of merchandise to the project.

In addition, letters of support have been received from:

• Dick Austin, president of Clinch River Adventures
• Sherry Hilton, president of Scott County Regional Horse Association
• Frank Kilgore, projects coordinator for Mountain Heritage, Inc.
• Freddie R. Allison, councilman for Town of Big Stone Gap, VA
• George E. Price, chair of Upper Tennessee River Roundtable, Inc.
• Joe Fuller, chairman of the Scott County Tourism Development Committee
• Terry Kilgore, Virginia State Delegate for the 1st House District
• Geneva O'Quinn, executive director for the Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority
• Wise County Board of Supervisors
• Rick Colley, president of the Kiwanis Club of Norton
• Bud Phillips, Virginia State Delegate for the 2nd House District
• Rick Boucher, Virginia representative to the U.S. House of Representatives
• Greg Cross, executive coordinator, Keep Wise County Beautiful, Inc.
• Bonnie Aker, secretary of the Wise Business Association
• Phil Shelton, retired professor from University of Virginia at Wise
  

More volunteers will be needed once trail renovation begins.  If you have questions regarding this project or would like to help out, please call Ed Wessman, Recreation Manager, at the Clinch Ranger District office, (276) 328-2931, or Diana Withen, President of the Clinch Coalition, at (276) 275-1337.


News

December 10, 2007 --- A press conference to announce the restoration project drew nearly 100 supporters and members of the press.

April 18, 2008 --- Volunteers begin work on trail

August 16, 2008 --- AmeriCorp helps restore benge