Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve

Big Spring Bog Natural Area Preserve is a 50-acre protected area in Grayson County featuring rolling terrain and Chestnut Creek, which flows to the New River. The site contains a specialized wetland formation that appears as an opening within a mixed oak-pine forest.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation established this preserve to protect rare wetland communities and maintain ecological diversity in Virginia's landscape. This designation reflects the effort to safeguard specialized ecosystems from human impact.

The wetland supports rare plant communities adapted to boggy conditions, creating a habitat where species thrive that cannot survive in typical forest settings. This isolated ecosystem functions as a refuge for plants and animals that depend on the specific wet and open environment.

Access requires advance arrangement with a state land steward due to strict conservation rules that protect the fragile ecosystem. Visitors should contact ahead to arrange approval before attempting to enter the area.

The preserve contains a cranberry glade, a rare bog type that appears as a green opening surrounded by dense forest. This wetland formation developed due to specific soil conditions found in very few other locations in the region.

Location: Virginia

GPS coordinates: 36.56780,-80.92760

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:41