Themes of the Appalachian Forest

Discover the themes that define and enrich our National Heritage Area

Forest Abundance

Ancient mountains of the Appalachian Forest feature abundant mixed hardwood and red spruce forests, where mountain microclimates and northern and southern species converge to create some of the most biodiverse forest ecosystems in North America

Tour the unique landscapes of our forest in the Virtual Visitor’s Guide by selecting the Biodiverse Forest category under the Favorite Places tab

Learn about the parks and preserves that feature the abundance of the Appalachian Forest in our Forest Abundance StoryMaps

Dive into stories about the forest’s ancient history and its past and present inhabitants with our America250 Program

Crucible of Isolation

People from many cultures came together in the Appalachian Forest, where geographic isolation and the rough mountain terrain fostered a distinctive Appalachian culture of self-reliance and connection to the land, expressed through folkways and living traditions that enrich America today.

Tour a course of the Civil War, a conflict that split the mountainous and isolated western Virginia from its wealthy eastern counterpart, in our Civil War in the AFNHA itinerary.

Explore the Crucible of Culture, Early Settlement, and Civil War categories under the Favorite Places tab in our Virtual Visitor’s Guide to see all applicable sites!

Learn about the sites that represent the early settlement history of the Appalachian Forest in our Early Settlement StoryMaps or Discover the must-see cultural hotspots of the region with the Community Culture StoryMaps

Dive into stories, tales, and accounts that divulge the unique culture of the Appalachian Forest with our America250 program

Logging Boom Builds the Nation

On the cusp of the 20th century, the expansion of railroads opened widespread harvest of the Appalachian Forest in a logging boom that helped fuel industrial expansion for the Eastern United States but devastated the landscape and altered mountain economies.

Tour the Industry and Transportation itinerary or parse through all the related sites with the Railroads, Industry, and Transportation category under the Favorite Places tab of our Virtual Visitor’s Guide

Learn about the history of Industry and Transportation in the AFNHA and the sites that represent it or check out our interactive StoryMap showing the historic and present range of railroads in our region

Dive into the histories of transportation routes, industrial laborers, and more in our America250 stories

Resilient Forest

 Recovery of the landscape from the logging boom shows the resilience of the Appalachian Forest, with scientific management today conserving forestlands for multiple purposes including ecological stewardship, recreation and tourism, and sustainable harvest of forest products.

Explore our interactive Outdoor Recreation maps, highlighting hiking trails and Fishing, Rafting, and Boating opportunities and find all the outdoor recreation opportunities available on our Digital Visitor’s Guide

Learn about Forestry sites and their history with our Forestry StoryMaps and find an informative list of all the New Deal projects in the AFNHA with our Clio guide

Dive into stories about forest recovery and more from our America250 program