River Ridge Retreat is a 34 acre wildlife sanctuary with looping hiking trails meandering through a pristine forest containing a pretty fishpond. River Ridge Retreat is just 10 minutes to the 2000 acre Bluestone Lake and 80,000 acre New River Gorge National River Park.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 34 acre wildlife sanctuary with looping forest trails winding through a pristine forest
• Multiple cabin sites in an area well suited for year-round residential use
• 10 minutes to a world-renowned water recreation mecca – including the 2000 acre Bluestone Lake, mighty New River, Greenbrier River in the heart of white water rafting country and the 80,000 acre New River Gorge National River Park
• Stocked fishing and paddle-boating pond – great watering feature for wildlife too
• Complete privacy – no neighbors may be seen from the property
• Little noise pollution and dark skies provide excellent star gazing and planet observation
• Wildlife is abundant with wild turkey, white tailed deer, squirrel, song birds, owls and hawks
• Stunning long range views of the distant mountains with striking sunrises and sunsets
• Valuable timber and mineral rights will convey
• Winterplace Ski Resort located just 30 minutes away
• The fringes of the pond create an interesting ecological and wildlife habitat consisting of frogs, ducks, turtles, dragonflies, butterflies, muskrats, song birds, crawdads, cattails, insects, mosses and sedges
• Land legacy of careful wildlife management coupled with outstanding long-term forest stewardship
• The area is perfect for anglers and water recreation enthusiasts
• Potential for residential/recreational development
• Elevations range from 2172 to 2450’
• Year round state maintained paved public roads provide superior access
• Internet, electric and phone available nearby
• Potential conservation value with its close proximity to New River Gorge National River Park lands
• Low taxes, low population density

RIVER RIDGE RETREAT

River Ridge is an exciting 34 acre retreat and recreational property near the 80,000 acre New River Gorge National Park and 2000 acre Bluestone Lake. Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails wind through the forest. The oak, hickory and beech trees provide superior wildlife habitat for ever present white tail deer, wild turkey, hawks and pileated woodpeckers. This is special forest, with large, mature trees that create a unique habitat which appeals to animals and humans alike.

There is little light pollution and the night sky is filled with millions stars for hours of serenity after fun-filled days in your personal mountain retreat. The abundance of wildlife can be fully appreciated by spending a few hours hiking, looking and listening for all the River Ridge forest has to offer.

DIRECTIONS

From Hinton at Kirk’s Restaurant & WV State Police Office at the intersection of Rt.3 and Rt. 20, take Rt. 20 south for 9.5 miles. Take a left on Tom Honaker Road (CR 20/3). Travel Tom Honaker Road for 7/10ths mile to the intersection with River Ridge Road (44/10). The property is on the left with red farm gate at the entrance to the driveway.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates at gate to entrance road: 037.560036N 080.924970W
Elevation Range: 2166 – 2450
Address: River Ridge Road Rt 44/10, Pipestem, WV 25979

River Ridge is located in Summers County, WV near Hinton and the unincorporated community of Pipestem. This residential-recreational opportunity is located in the scenic, mountainous region of southeastern West Virginia. The surrounding Summers County landscape is part of the southeastern Ridge and Valley Region, a scenic tapestry of elongated hardwood ridges and steep valleys. Much of Summers County remains undeveloped and is characterized by its scenic farm valleys, small communities and large expanses of hardwood forest.

At 34 +/- acres, River Ridge represents an opportunity to create a classic family ownership legacy for the next tenure, or to carefully craft a rural residential project for future cabin sites. Terrain is typical of the region and considered rolling to mountainous, with upland hardwood flats and ridges separated by narrow hollows that flank the lower lying stream drainage.

A great pond stocked with bass, bluegill and catfish creates fun fishing, paddle-boating and skipping stones. Several large bullfrogs enjoy the pond as well and their nightly singing is a welcome sound.

ACCESS

Year round access to the property is excellent. The property fronts the paved state-maintained WV RT 44/10 (River Ridge Road) and WV RT 20/3 (Tom Honaker Road) for some 2,000’ on the southern portion of the property.

Internal access is considered excellent with 500’ driveway leading to the pond and surrounding open area. Several looping forest trails provide access to nearly all corners for recreational opportunities including nature viewing, hunting, hiking, horseback riding and ATV riding.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

The New River Gorge was a vast and largely unsettled wilderness until the C&O railroad was built on the eastern side of the river in the 1880’s. The railroad opened up the rich coalfields and virgin timber stands of the region. Early “mountaineers” settled the area and soon were carving out mountain farms and raising families.

A visit to River Ridge, with its 2 high knobs and interlacing saddleback, is stepping back in time some 120 years. This early farmstead is an excellent example of the how the early settlers lived and is a testament to hard work, perseverance and ingenuity. Manpower and horsepower were the tools of the trade in the late 1800’s. The once cleared fields have now grown back into mature timber. However, piles of field stone testify to the countless hours of backbreaking work involved with clearing the land.

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The timber resource has a good hardwood sawtimber and pole stocking. This well managed timber resource can provide a great deal of flexibility to the next ownership in terms of potential harvest revenue and can be managed to provide cash flow opportunities to offset holding cost and long-term asset appreciation. Capital timber value has not been established at this time.

Species composition:
The forest’s predominately well-drained upland terrain has led to a resource dominated by hardwood species. Overall, the species composition is highly desirable and favors Appalachian hardwood types, consisting primarily of:

White Oak/Chestnut Oak, Red Oak Group, Poplar/Cucumber/Basswood, Sugar Maple/Soft Maple and a host of associate species.

Stocking, Stem Quality, and Forest Structure
Forest-wide, most stands are fully stocked, providing the next ownership with a great deal of flexibility in shaping their own silvicultual legacy. Stem quality forest-wide can be considered excellent with the forest containing an abundant future veneer source.

The timber component has been well managed over the years and generally consists of two age classes that have been managed under even-aged silvicultural guidelines. The predominant timber stand contains 40-120 year old stems ranging in size of 10”-28” dbh.

The second distinct stand was established over the past 40 years when some of the farm fields and pastures were abandoned and the forest began to naturally regenerate.

A few “Heritage Trees” are scattered throughout the forest and along the county road. These ancient trees, some 200-300 years old, have withstood the test of time, weathering ice, wind, lightning strikes and fire.

The forest is healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. The Emerald Ash Borer and the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid are present and the Ash and Hemlock trees are stressed and will die out over the next decade. There have been no forest fires in the recent memory.

The forest floor is home to several types of mushrooms, medicinal plants, wild ginseng, ferns and cool green mosses.

WILDLIFE

River Ridge is a wonderful wildlife sanctuary. The mixture of surrounding area hayfields/pasture, mature forest, abandoned farm fields, pine thickets, marshes, coupled with the abundant water supply from ponds, creeks and springs, create a hearty wildlife habitat. The miles of “edge effect” shaped between area fields and forest is the textbook habitat for all the resident wildlife. White tail deer, wild turkey, squirrel, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, woodpeckers, crows and raptors make up the resident wildlife population.

The hardwood forest provides the essential nutrient source and produces tons of hard mast including acorns, hickory nuts, beech nuts and black walnuts. Soft mast includes stag horn sumac, black cherry, tulip poplar seeds, autumn olive berries and blackberries.

A number of Bald Eagles have been spotted up and down the Greenbrier and New Rivers and are a thrill to see with wingspans of 6-7 feet.

MINERAL RESOURCES

The owner has chosen not to lease the oil and gas rights and all the mineral rights the seller owns will transfer to the purchaser at closing. There are no known coal reserves underlying the property. All prospective purchasers are encouraged to have an attorney do a title search prior to
purchasing.

UTILITIES

• Electric and telephone service is nearby
• Internet connection can be obtained from Frontier
• Due to the mountainous topography, cell phone coverage can be spotty in the hollows but is excellent on the ridge tops
• Television service can be provided by DirectTV or HughesNet
• Weekly trash pickup is provided by Summers Sanitation at curbside
• A water well could be drilled to supply residential needs
• Sewer can be provided by installing a county approved septic system
• Cell phone coverage ranges from excellent with 4G on the ridges to faint or none in the deeper hollows.

TAXES AND DEED INFO

Deed Information: DB 229 Pg. 228
Summers County, West Virginia
Acreage: 34.7 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Summers County, West Virginia
Pipestem District
Tax Map 9 Parcel 12.3

2020 Real Estate Taxes: $317.50

ZONING

The county is subject to some zoning and subdivision regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the County Commission and also the Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes and installation of septic systems.

SURROUNDING AREA

The surrounding area offers unlimited soft recreational activities including white water rafting, golfing, fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching and rock climbing. Snow skiing at the Winterplace Ski Resort is less than an hour away. In ten minutes you can catch the Amtrak train in Hinton and ride to the Greenbrier Resort, Chicago or New York City. The Beckley Airport is just 45 minutes away.

River Ridge is supported with a great community known for its friendly residents and laidback lifestyle. Hinton, the county seat of Summers County is a 10 minute drive. Hinton, founded in 1871, grew rapidly as the hub of a growing railroad industry serving the New River coal fields, passenger travel and coast to coast freight lines. Today, Hinton serves the growing tourist and technology industries. Situate at the confluence of the New River, Bluestone River and the Greenbrier River. The 80,000 acre New River National River Park, Bluestone State Park, Pipestem State Park Resort and 17,000 acre Bluestone Wildlife Management Area are recreational cornerstones in the area. The new 10,000 acre Boy Scout high adventure camp is an hour’s drive

A hospital, grocery shopping, pharmacy, hardware/farm supply and dining are available in Hinton.

The New River Gorge was a vast and largely unsettled wilderness until the C&O railroad was built on the eastern side of the river in the 1880’s. The railroad opened up the rich coalfields and virgin timber stands of the region. Early “mountaineers” settled the area and soon were carving out mountain farms and raising families.

The New River is the second oldest river in the world, preceded only by the Nile; it is the oldest river in North America. The New River is unique because it begins in Blowing Rock, N.C. and flows north through Virginia into West Virginia. The Nile and Amazon are the only other major rivers that also flow north. Year after year, it produces more citation fish than any other warm water river in WV. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish, hybrid striped bass, and muskie are all common species of fish found in the New River and Bluestone Lake.

Bluestone Lake is over 2000 acres at summer pool and is the state’s third largest body of water.
Speed boat racing events were held in the summer of 2016. Great hunting and fishing opportunities abound at the 17,632 acre Bluestone Wildlife Area adjacent to the park and nearby Camp Creek State Forest.

The largest and most popular 4th of July day parade in the state is hosted by nearby Alderson. The sleepy town of Alderson is a 30 minute drive and amenities include churches, elementary school, grocery store, hardware/farm supply store, motel, bank, Dollar General, gas/convenience stores, medical clinic and restaurants. Alderson is also home to “Camp Cupcake”, the minimum-security federal prison where Martha Stewart spent her vacation.

Lewisburg, a 45 minute drive, is the county seat of Greenbrier County and home to the WV Osteopathic Medical School (800 students) and the New River Community and Technical College. The area is a strong economic generator with a solid workforce employed in county/state government, tourism, hospitality, education, retail, construction, wood products, mining and agriculture. The Greenbrier Valley and surrounding area is richly blessed with a wide array of cultural events that keep life in the valley interesting and satisfying. A year round live theatre, Carnegie Hall (one of four in the USA), fine dining, art galleries and boutiques make up the thriving downtown historic district in Lewisburg.

Lewisburg was named Coolest Small Town in America and offers complete shopping, churches, schools, medical-dental facilities, fine dining, and a modern hospital. The airport, with the longest runway in the state is located here with flights to the Charlotte NC hub.

The world renowned 4-Star Greenbrier Resort, home of the PGA tour, is a 60 minute drive. Several other area golf courses are available in the area. Rock climbing, ziplining, horseback riding and the 100 + mile long Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail makes for a very active recreation area.

GREENBRIER RIVER AND RIVER TRAIL

River Ridge is a 10 minute drive to the lazy Greenbrier River. The Greenbrier River is 173 miles long is the last free flowing river east of the Mississippi. It is an excellent river to float or canoe and is well known for its large and small mouth bass fishing. It is at most times lazy and easy to navigate.

The Greenbrier River is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River in the town of Durbin, West Virginia. From Durbin the Greenbrier River flows southwesterly through Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Summers Counties. It flows through several communities including Cass, Marlinton, Hillsboro, Ronceverte, Fort Spring, Alderson, and Hinton. The Greenbrier River joins the New River in the town of Hinton, just 10 minutes away.

The property is a 45 minute ride to the Greenbrier River Trial and is operated by the West Virginia State Parks. The trail is a 77-mile long former railroad, now used for hiking, bicycling, ski-touring, horseback-riding, and wheel-chair use. The trail passes through numerous small towns and traverses 35 bridges and 2 tunnels as it winds its way along the valley. Most of the trail is adjacent to the free-flowing Greenbrier River and is surrounded by peaks of the Allegheny Mountains.