Still Waters D is a 30.56 acre +/- multi-use agricultural, recreational and residential property located just 30 minutes from America’s newest national park. The newly dedicated 70,000 acre New River Gorge National River Park and Preserve is a haven for hiking, climbing, and rafting. The park is well-suited to welcoming adventurers and offers plenty of space to breath.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 30.56 acres +/- is the perfect size for creating a wonderful country estate
• Just 30 minutes to the 70,000 acre New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, America’s newest national park.
• Exceptional cabin sites with a southern view and forest trails to hike
• 1/10 mile of Morris Branch, a dashed blue line stream
• Culvert in place where vehicles can easily cross Morris Branch
• 13 acres +/- of level to rolling agricultural land
• 14 acres +/- of dynamic forest with some old growth trees estimated to be 150-200 years old
• 3 acres +/- brushy areas
• Protective Covenants will be in place
• Recorded survey completed in May 2022
• Produce your own maple syrup, golden honey, fruits, vegetables cattle, sheep and horses
• The property was fully brushhogged in October 2021, and touched up again in August 2022
• An amazingly biodiverse wetland area
• 5 min to the I-64 Dawson Interchange & 10 min to the Sam Black Interchange on I-64
• Jet airport with service to Chicago and Dulles just 25 minutes drive
• Forest is comprised of Red Oak, White Oak, White Oak, Hickory, Poplar, Cherry and Maples
• Modern schools nearby with county school bus service or home schooling is popular too
• Perfect for all water sport activities supported by the nearby Greenbrier River, New River and the 2000-acre Bluestone Lake and 5,000 acre Summersville Lake
• 80,000 acre New River Gorge National River Park and Preserve nearby
• Fronts on a paved state-maintained road – FedEx, UPS and USPS delivery
• City amenities are 30 minutes to Beckley and Lewisburg
• 90 minutes to Charleston, the State Capitol and WV’s largest metro area
• Amazing resident wildlife population rich in diversity and ever changing
• Fur bearing – beaver, deer, black bear, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox, chipmunk, opossum
• Area winged wildlife includes Neotropical songbirds, turkey, grouse, eagles, herons, hawks, owls, ravens, king fishers, ravens, crows, and hummingbirds
• A rewarding off-grid permaculture lifestyle can be easily developed
• Cell phone coverage is good with 5G service
• Dark skies with little or no light pollution for star gazing and planet observation
• The 30.56 acres offers ATV riding, hiking, camping, hunting and nature viewing
• An easy drive to higher population areas of Charleston, Blacksburg, Roanoke, Beckley, Princeton and Lewisburg, jet airports, and 4 major interstates
• Surrounded by timber tracts and cattle farms in a nice rural neighborhood
• All mineral rights in title will convey
• Elevations run from 2470’ to 2821’
• Low taxes, low population density

LOCATION

Still Waters D is located in Greenbrier County, WV near Lewisburg, Beckley, Rainelle and the unincorporated communities of Dawson and Sam Black Church. This 31 +/- acre agricultural- timberland-recreational opportunity is located in the scenic, mountainous region of southeastern West Virginia. The surrounding Greenbrier County landscape is part of the southeastern Ridge and Valley Region, a scenic tapestry of elongated hardwood Allegheny & Appalachian mountain ranges. Much of Greenbrier County remains undeveloped and is characterized by its scenic farm valleys, small communities and large expanses of hardwood forest.

Still Waters D, with about 12 acres of fields and 14 acres of forest represents an opportunity to create a classic family ownership legacy for the next tenure. Terrain is unique in the region and considered level to slightly rolling with some steeper woodland areas.

Google Coordinates: 37.849083°(N), -80.759153°(W)
Address: Morris Branch Road, Meadow Bridge, WV 25976
Elevation Range: 2470 ft. to 2821 ft. +/-

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: A portion of the property in DB 631 PG 829
Greenbrier County, West Virginia

Acreage: 30.56 acres +/- for the sale area portion of the larger tract

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Greenbrier County (13), West Virginia
Blue Sulphur District (3)
Tax Map 13 part of Parcel 4, Class 3

2022 Real Estate Taxes: $1473.06 for the whole tax parcel of which the sale area is a portion

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property has a recent survey completed in May 2022 to create it from the larger tract of land.   See the Documents & Maps section above for a copy of the survey plat.  The southeastern boundary is the Morris Branch Road.  Portions of the boundary are evidenced by old fences.  The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Electric: Available along Morris Branch Road
Water: There is an existing water well onsite but no information is available if it is still functional
Sewer: Public sewer system is not currently available. A residential septic system could be installed.
Telephone:  Available along Morris Branch Road
Cell phone Coverage: Good in most places with 5G
Internet: Service may be possible through Cable, Satellite, Cellphone hotspot
LP Gas: Available locally for delivery
Television: Cable possibly or Satellite

ZONING

Greenbrier 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.
Information can be found at the county website: http://greenbriercounty.net/ordinances/

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has about 1/10 mile of frontage on Morris Branch Road Rt. 29/4, which is identified on a WVDOT Greenbrier County map as Rt. 29/4 at this location.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

• There are approximately 13 acres of open ground suitable for multiple uses including:
• Grassland suitable for seasonal livestock grazing or for making hay.
• The land has historically been used to raise cattle and sheep.
• The land is very suitable for growing row crops such as corn, oats, wheat, pumpkins and all kinds of vegetables.
• A fruit orchard would also flourish here.
• The production of Maple Syrup is popular in this region and the farm has the maple tree resource to produce gallons of high grade syrup.
• Growing hemp is also gaining ground as a agricultural crop
• Making honey is also a well established industry in the area
• In recent years, the production of wine, beers and ales have grown into a flourishing industry. Growing Hops for the craft beer industry is an emerging agricultural niche market
• The land has not been in production for many years but was fully brushhogged in October 2021, and touched up again in August 2022.  It is possible the agricultural land could be certified as “Organic” since it has been many years since any fertilizer or chemical sprays have been applied.

WATER

A portion of Morris Branch, a blue line stream, travels through the property for about 1/10 mile. The stream should have water flow during most of the year, especially during rain events and snow melt.

MINERAL RESOURCES

All rights the owner has will convey with the property.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property has about 13 acres in field/open area including the home grounds, 3 acres with brushy growth, and about 13 acres in forestland.

(This summary is an estimation of current property use as determined from aerial photography.  It is made subject to the estimation of property boundaries and any errors in the interpretation of land use type from the aerial photography utilized.)

RECREATION

The property offers unparalleled recreational opportunities. Numerous soft recreational activities are anchored by the nearby Greenbrier River, New River, New River Gorge National River Park and the 2000-acre Bluestone Lake.

Water-sports enthusiasts will find the nearby Greenbrier River, New River and Bluestone Lake ideal for swimming, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, paddle boarding and windsurfing. Great fishing is found for small and large mouth bass, crappie, catfish, muskie, walleye, pike and bluegill.

Nature viewing is next in line of recreational activities. Wildlife viewing is not just for larger animals. Equal consideration is given to a diversity of species including neo-tropical songbirds, butterflies, turtles, frogs, rabbits, chipmunks, dragonflies, owls, eagles and hawks. White tail deer, black bear, red/gray fox, bobcat, wild turkey, grouse, geese, squirrel, raccoon, fox and rabbit make up the resident wildlife population.

Stargazing-Planet Observation
Near total darkness can be still be found on the property, thereby affording the opportunity to view the night sky in all its brilliant wonder.

Shooting-sports devotees find all the land and privacy needed to enjoy:

• Paintball-Airsoft-Laser Tag-Archery tag
• Shotgun sport shooting including Skeet, Trap, Double Trap and Sporting Clays
• Rifle & Handgun shooting: bullseye, silhouette, western, bench rest, long-range, fast draw
• Archery and Crossbow competition shooting
• 22 single shot rifle and a few tin cans make a fun day

All Terrain Motorsports
The property is perfect for experiencing the property from an ATV or UTV. Riders are welcome to ride all public roads that do not have a painted dividing line and there are miles and miles of open roads in the area. These exciting machines handle the wide variety of the forest’s terrain.

Dirt bikes can also be a lot of fun and they come in all sizes and horsepower to fit anyone who enjoys being on two wheels.

Mountain Biking, Horseback Riding and Hiking
The land may be used for mountain biking, hiking or horseback riding and the area offers several state and national parks geared for these activities.

WILDLIFE

The nearby New River, Greenbrier River, and Bluestone Lake are major contributors to the local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals. There are many animals that live year round and at other times in the water and around the edges of the rivers/lake, including beavers, otters, minks, raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, king fishers, minnows, native fish, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskrats, bull frogs, eagles, owls, hawks and redwing blackbirds.

The miles of “edge effect” benefit all the resident wildlife. In addition to those listed above, white tail deer, black bear, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, fox, chipmunk, and many species of songbirds make up the resident wildlife population.

Of equal importance, there is the insect and microscopic world including butterflies, dragonflies, water skaters, water beetles, damselflies, hellgrammites, tadpoles and various insect larve.

Great fishing is found in the Greenbrier River New River and Bluestone Lake with small and large mouth bass, crappie, catfish, muskie, walleye, pike and bluegill present in good numbers.

The rivers, lake, and creeks, and their surrounding aquatic plant life, create a water a water-supported community with a wide variety of wildlife. Much of their margins are fringed by wetlands, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide shelter for wildlife, and stabilize their shores. The plant life associated with the wetland includes rushes, sedges, cattails, duckweed, bee balm and algae.

The hardwood forest of the surrounding mountains 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, maple seeds, autumn olive berries and blackberries.

SELF-SUSTAINING LIFE OFF THE GRID

Just like 200 years ago, when the first mountaineers settled the area, the property can be self-sustaining in times of necessity – even without on-grid electricity.

• Solar or wind power could provide an endless supply of off grid electricity
• Fresh water for drinking and cooking would come from springs or a drilled water well (hand drawing water from the well using a cylinder well bucket)
• Deer and turkey can supply fresh meat
• Raise chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, goats, rabbits etc.) and could be farmed with horse drawn equipment. The land would support vegetable gardens, berry patches, fruit orchards, and row crops of corn, oats and barley
• Beehives would provide honey and beeswax for candles
• The forest would provide firewood for heating and cooking and pounds of walnuts

FOREST FARMING

The most common crops are medicinal herbs and mushrooms. Other crops that can be produced include shade-loving native ornamentals, moss, fruit, nuts, other food crops, and decorative materials for crafts. These crops are often referred to as special forest products.

Here are some specific examples of possible crops:

• Medicinal herbs: Ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh, bloodroot, passionflower, and mayapple
• Mushrooms: Shiitake and oyster mushrooms
• Native ornamentals: Rhododendrons and dogwood
• Moss: Log or sheet moss
• Fruit: Pawpaws, currants, elderberries, and lowbush blueberries
• Nuts: Black walnuts, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, and beechnuts
• Other food crops: Ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, and honey
• Plants used for decorative purposes, dyes, and crafts: Galax, princess pine, white oak, pussy willow branches in the spring, holly, bittersweet, and bloodroot and ground pine (Lycopodium)

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The abundant timber resource is well positioned for future timber income as well as value appreciation over the coming decades. The timber has not been harvested in decades.  With an attractive species mix, adequate stocking levels, and favorable diameter class distribution, the timber amenity represents a strong component of value to the investor.

The 14+/- acre forest has trees in the 40-150 year old range. The forest resource is composed of upland Appalachian hardwoods and wetland hardwood species. The species composition consists primarily of  Red Maple, Sugar Maple, Poplar, Red Oak, White Oak, Hickory, and a host of associated species (Sourwood, Black Walnut, Locust, Black Gum, Beech, Ironwood and Hop Hornbeam).

A few “Heritage Trees” are scattered throughout the forest and old field edges. These ancient trees, some 100-200 years old, have withstood the test of time, weathering flood, 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 is present, and it is anticipated that all the Ash east of the Mississippi will succumb to the borer over the coming 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. There may be a few fruit trees scattered about, which were part of the early homestead. Crops of black walnuts are produced each. Honeybees will do very well here.

THE AREA

Still Waters is an easy drive of higher population areas of Charleston, Roanoke, Blacksburg, Beckley, Princeton and Lewisburg.

Nearby Beckley & Lewisburg offer grocery stores, restaurants, banks, auto parts stores, hardware, hospital, dentists and most other city amenities. Beckley is the Raleigh County Seat and Lewisburg is the Greenbrier County seat and they are the economic and governmental hub of those counties.

Lewisburg (30 min), has been named the Coolest Small Town in America and has complete shopping, churches, schools, medical-dental facilities, fine dining, and a modern hospital. The Greenbrier Valley Airport, with the longest runway in the state has daily flights to Atlanta and Washington DC.  Lewisburg is the home to the Greenbrier Country Public Library, a fantastic, ultra-modern public library that is open 7 days a week. The library’s services include: Reading Areas, References, Notary Public, Local History Room, Tax Forms, Fax Service, Photo Copies, Digital Printing, Inter Library Loans, Internet/Computer Access, Audio Books, eBooks, Story Hour, Video & DVD’s, Paperback Book Exchange, Literacy Tutoring, Databases, Computer Classes, Book Discussions, Children’s Programming and an Online Catalogue.

Lewisburg is also home to the modern Robert. C Byrd Medical Clinic (300 employees), the WV Osteopathic Medical School (600 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, medical, education, retail, construction, wood products, mining and agriculture.

Beckley (30 min), has a population of 34,000, and is the county seat of Raleigh County. All city amenities are available in Beckley. Beckley is located at the intersection of I-135, I-64 and US 19 so easy access to Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Charleston and Cincinnati is just around the corner.

Charleston is West Virginia’s state capitol (90 min). Charleston is West Virginia’s largest city with a population of some 50,000 and a metro area of 225,000. It is the center of government, commerce, culture and industry. There is a commercial airport with daily flights to most major hubs.

The surrounding area offers unlimited recreational activities including white water rafting, golfing, fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching and rock climbing and snow skiing.

Highlights:

• 30-60 min to Beckley, Princeton, Lewisburg, 80,000 acre New River Gorge National Park, 2,000 acre Bluestone Lake, Pipestem Resort and Bluestone State Park, Sandstone Falls, Winterplace Ski Resort and the 4-Star Greenbrier Resort
• A picturesque Amtrak train ride from Hinton or White Sulphur Springs connects the area to DC, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, and many other locations
• Washington, DC is 5 hours and Charlotte 3 hours
• Charleston, Beckley, Lewisburg airports offer jet service to main hubs
• Charleston, the state capitol, is 1.5 hours’ drive and offers all large city amenities
• Easy access to I-64, I-135, I-79, US 460, US 19
• The Bechtel Summit Reserve 12,000 acre Boy Scouts of America’s high adventure camp (60 min)
• The 14,000 acre Bluestone Wildlife Management Area is just down river at Bull Falls

THE NEW RIVER AND BLUESTONE LAKE

The property is located in the heart of the recreational mecca area and is 20 minutes to the New River, 80,000 acre New River Gorge National River Park and 35 minutes to the 2000 acre Bluestone Lake at 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. 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 DYNAMIC WETLAND

In earlier times, before the environmental and societal value of wetlands was discovered, Morris Branch’s wetland was commonly called a “swamp”. This enchanting area is biologically rich and wildlife diverse, being akin to the world’s largest swamp forests found in the Amazon. This mighty wetland area, works to provide “ecosystem services”—non-monetary benefits like clean water, clean air, carbon sequestration, diverse wildlife habitat, and recreation for everyone.

The property’s wetland is incredible. One can visit during a dry season to walk beside the mix of young and old trees and open ground and watch for deer, squirrels, raccoon, and turkey; or explore during the wet season and search for butterflies, turtles, frogs, crawdads, song birds, salamanders, newts, and a host of other aquatic invertebrates, migratory birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Greenbrier County School District

Public Elementary School:
Smoot Elementary School
Public Middle School:
Western Greenbrier Middle School

Public High School:

Greenbrier West High School

Colleges:

New River Community and Technical College (Lewisburg campus)
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Private Schools:

Greenbrier Community School (PK-8)
Greenbrier Valley Academy (2-8)
Lewisburg Baptist Academy (PK-12)
Renick Christian School (2-7)
Seneca Trail Christian Academy (PK-12)

Purchasers have the obligation to verify information.  Purchasers are advised that information that would be of any material consideration in making the  purchase should personally verify such information or seek advice from experts.  Foxfire Realty’s Broker and Sales Agents are NOT experts on any such matters and are not to be relied on for such information.  Purchasers are responsible for acquiring information and complying with governmental laws and regulations concerning the use or occupancy of the property.