There are 139,461 acres (564В km 2) of federally designated wilderness areas in the two forests under the United States National Wilderness Preservation System. Counties are in Virginia unless otherwise indicated.ДЇrederick, Hampshire (WV), Hardy (WV), Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, WarrenДЄugusta, Highland, Pendleton (WV), RockinghamДЄmherst, Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Nelson, and RockbridgeД«land, Botetourt, Craig, Giles, Monroe (WV), Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Smyth, Tazewell, WytheДickenson, Lee, Letcher (KY), Pike (KY), Scott, WiseД¬arroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington, Wythe Дistrict offices are listed from north to south. The Supervisor's Office in Roanoke is not located in the forest and is primarily an administrative location. These offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00В a.m. Maps and other information about the forests can be obtained at these locations. Ranger offices are the Forest Service's public service offices. Thirdly, note that the state of Kentucky actually has very little area, with its two counties bringing up the tail end of Jefferson National Forest. Botetourt, Monroe, and Rockbridge counties, at the dividing line between the two forests, include parts of both forests. Jefferson National Forest is located in 22 separate counties, more than any other National Forest except Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, which lies in 29 counties. It has operated at this location since the summer of 1953.

The camp is located on national forest land near the town of Vesuvius, Virginia. George Washington Forest is also the venue for Nature Camp, a natural science education-oriented summer camp for youth. It is the location for several Ultramarathons, including the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 miler, the Old Dominion 100 miler, and the Old Dominion Memorial 100 miler. The George Washington National Forest is a popular destination for trail runners.

The forest is within a two-hour drive for over ten million people and thus receives large numbers of visitors, especially in the region closest to Shenandoah National Park. The Appalachian Trail extends for 330 miles (530В km) from the southern end of Shenandoah National Park through the forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The forests are popular hiking, mountain biking, and hunting destinations. White-tailed deer, bobcat, bald eagles, weasel, otter, and marten are also known to inhabit the Forests. The black bear is relatively common, enough so that there is a short hunting season to prevent overpopulation. The Ramsey's Draft and Kimberling Creek Wildernesses in particular are mostly old-growth. Locations of old growth include Peters Mountain, Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area, Rich Hole Wilderness, Flannery Ridge, Pick Breeches Ridge, and Laurel Fork Gorge, Pickem Mountain, and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. The Forests contain some 230,000 acres (930В km 2) of old growth forests, representing all of the major forest communities found within them. The Forests' vast and mountainous terrain harbors a great variety of plant life-over 50 species of trees and over 2,000 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants. Main article: Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Roaring Run Furnace is the only site on the National Register of Historic Places owned by the Jefferson National Forest.

The deepest gorge east of the Mississippi River, Breaks Interstate Park, is located in the forest.

The ghost town of Lignite, Virginia, lies within the forest.

Approximately 230,000 acres (930В km 2) of old-growth forests.

Other notable mountains include Elliott Knob, which has one of the last remaining fire lookout towers in the eastern U.S., and Whitetop Mountain.

Virginia's highest point, Mount Rogers, is located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area that is part of the forest.

Over 2,000 miles (3,000В km) of hiking trails, including segments of the Appalachian Trail, go through the forest.

The northern portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is separately administered by the National Park Service, runs through the Forest.

The combined forest is administered from its headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia. The border between the two forests roughly follows the James River. In 1995, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests were administratively combined. Jefferson National Forest was formed on April 21, 1936, by combining portions of the Unaka and George Washington National Forests with other land. Natural Bridge National Forest was added on July 22, 1933.

The forest was renamed after the first President on June 28, 1932. George Washington National Forest was established on May 16, 1918, as the Shenandoah National Forest. 8 Wilderness Society's вЂњMountain TreasuresвЂќ in the Jefferson Forest.

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