The Shadow
FINCASTLE (AP) – The U.S. Forest Service has closed a trail system in Botetourt County, where erosion caused by four-wheeling has created high levels of sediment in nearby streams.
After completing water-quality monitoring, the Forest Service decided to close the Patterson Mountain ATV Trail System, a 16-mile network that consists of a main route and 10 side trails.
Regular use by all-terrain vehicles has reduced some the trails to shallow trenches, routing dirt and mud into the waterways during times of heavy rain and snow. Testing found that trail conditions didn’t comply with the Jefferson National Forest plan.
The Patterson Mountain trail system is one of four such attractions in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
