HIGHLIGHTS

• 22 pristine acres with two hand-crafted cabins
• 1300’ direct frontage Panther Camp Creek – a native trout stream
• Rich and diverse wildlife population
• Organic practices maintained throughout the property
• Mature organic orchard – apples, plums, pears, cherries, blueberries, Japanese Heartnuts
• Fenced organic herb, flower and vegetable garden
• Drilled water well, private septic, underground electric, landline phone, internet available
• 40 minutes to Lewisburg with jet airport, interstate, hospital, shopping, city amenities
• Dark skies offer excellent opportunities for star gazing and astrophotography
• 25 minutes to the Greenbrier River and Monongahela National Forest
• Dynamic forest with some old growth trees estimated to be 200-300 years old
• Wildlife program enhances habitat, increases diversity, and promotes health
• A rewarding permaculture lifestyle can be easily developed
• Surrounded by large timber tracts in a private rural neighborhood in Greenbrier County
• Good access by state maintained roads & private driveway – FedEx, and USPS delivery
• Creekside: Frogs, turtles, crawdads, fish, ducks, salamanders, butterflies, dragonflies
• Fur bearing – deer, black bear, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox, chipmunk, opossum
• Winged wildlife – hawks, owls, grouse, ravens, turkey, woodpeckers, songbirds
• The forest produces tons of Oxygen and sequesters tons of carbon dioxide
• Trees species include oaks, black walnut, poplar, sycamore, maple and hickories
• Perfect for recreational activities including area water sports, ATV riding, horseback riding, hiking, camping, and nature viewing
• Low taxes, low population density
• Nature, scenic, and historic attributes provide exceptional quality of life values

OVERVIEW

The bold running Panther Camp Creek flows for over 1300’ feet through the heart of the 22 acre property. There are two well-built cabins located in the foothills of the Yew Mountains in northern Greenbrier County. This beautiful, densely forested mountain property is a perfect retreat with abundant water, wildlife, and is private but not isolated.

The area around the main cabin has been partially cleared over the years to create a special area. Mountain wildflowers can be enjoyed every spring and summer including everything from mountain irises to daffodils.

An old woodland trail from the horse and oxen days meanders along the stream and through the forest. In the early spring, morel mushrooms, or “merkels” as they are known locally, can be found growing on the property.

As you walk along the trail you will find a few ancient “heritage” trees and a mountain spring. A rock outcropping along Panther Camp Creek forms a frozen water cascade of ice during the winter, creating a wonderland of icicles .

A wide variety of wildlife is very abundant in the area and includes white-tailed deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, and many species of winged wildlife. Tree species include white oak, red oak, sugar maple, black walnut, hickory, tulip poplar, and black cherry. There is an abundance of sugar maple trees perfect for tapping and collecting the sap to boil down into gallons of maple syrup.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 38.090834°(N), -80.402323°(W)
Address: 726 Panther Camp Road, Renick, WV 24966
Elevation Range: 2339 ft. to 2709 ft. +/-

HOME DETAILS

Main Home
Finished Square Footage: 1,170 +/-
Built in 2008-2010
Stories: 2 1/2
Bedrooms: 2
Bathrooms: 1 full
Total Rooms: 7
Flooring: Hardwood, vinyl, carpet, stone
Countertops: Custom created wood countertops in kitchen and bath
Heating: Electric baseboard; electric heat pump
Cooling: Electric heat pump
Roof: Metal
Foundation: Block; pillars
Water heater: Gas – on demand
Large covered front porch
Decks
Exterior repainted in 2019
10K Generac whole-house LP gas generator
Underground utilities
Items to Convey: Kitchen appliances; washer/dryer; dehumidifier
Cattle fencing around garden area

Room Dimensions:
Living Room: 16’ x 16’ – Upper level
Dining Room: 7’ x 10’ – Upper level
Kitchen: 15’ x 10’ – Upper level
Bedroom 1: 16’ x 13’ – Upper level
Bath: 9’ x 10’ – Upper level
Laundry: 8’ x 10’ – Upper level
Bedroom 2: 12’ x 30’ – Loft
Studio: 15’x 30’ – Lower level

Detached Garage
13’ x 16’ – one car

Artist Studio/Cabin
Finished Square Footage: 198 +/-
One Room
Large deck overlooking the creek
Heating: Plumbed for LP gas
Cooling: Passive Energy
Roof: Metal
Exterior: Wood

Outbuildings
Garden Shed 10’ x 12’
Workshop – 12’ x 24’ – heated
7 Solar Panels attached to grid on Workshop

UTILITIES

Water: Drilled water well. Mountain spring water
Sewer: Private septic
Phone: Frontier
Internet: Frontier
Electricity: Solar and Allegheny Power (undergound)

WATER RESOURCES

Without question, there is an abundance of water on the property. Panther Camp Creek is a year round, blue line – native trout stream, flowing through the heart of the property for some 1300 feet. This awesome stream has large boulders and hard sandstone rock shelves that create rapids, rills and waterfalls along its length. Large trees, moss, ferns and wildflowers growing along the stream create a serene and tranquil setting.

There is a spring located at the base of the hill that could be developed as a domestic water source to complement the existing water well at the cabin.
Four other ephemeral streams are located in the hollows interspersed throughout the property creating a dynamic environment. The hidden hollow contains an amazing waterfall that comes alive during rain events and trickles steadily during the winter and spring.

FOREST RESOURCES

The Wendy’s Mountain Retreawt forest is a mixture of majestic older timber stands intertwined with former farm fields. Many mountain homesteads were abandoned after World War II when the mountaineers left the state to find employment in the northern cities. This was also the time when the horse/oxen drawn farm machinery was replaced with the “modern” farm tractor. The steeper fields and pastures where no longer tended as the tractors could not navigate the hillsides like the horses and oxen could. Greenbrier County in the 1950’s than there is today. The old fields on the property have been transformed into a lush forest dominated by Black Cherry, Yellow Poplar, Black Walnut and Black Locust.

The timber stands that were not formerly in agriculture contain some outstanding trees. White oak, red oak, hickory, sugar maple, chestnut oak and yellow poplar trees dominate this lush and very special forest. Some of these trees would be considered “Legacy Trees”, those trees that were here when the mountaineers settled the area in the late 1800’s and have withstood the test of time.

Each year, the forest produces tons of Oxygen while taking in tons of Carbon Dioxide, helping to lessen mankind’s Carbon Footprint. This is an important long-term value so often overlooked when thinking about the forest.

The property’s forest produces tons and tons of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, wild grapes, blackberries, beechnuts, poplar and maple seeds. Because there is such an amazing food source, there is an abundance of wildlife, including wild turkey, white tail deer, raccoons, opossums, squirrels and chipmunks. The dense forest, with its closed canopy, is home to a variety of song birds, owls, ravens, buzzards, woodpeckers and hawks. Many of these birds nest in the “den trees”, which are full of holes and cavities. The birds feed on a variety of insects, including thousands small caterpillars that inhabit the upper reaches of the canopy.

AGRICULTURE

The cabin overlooks a pretty little meadow, about 2 acres in size. This meadow has deep rich soils and since there have been no fertilizer or pesticides applied in the last 20 years, it can possibly be certified for use in growing organic crops such as vegetables, berries, fruits and even livestock and poultry.

There is a mature orchard that includes: Apples, pears, rare Allegheny plums, cherry, blueberries, chestnuts, and Japanese heartnuts.
A high fence surrounds the large herb and vegetable garden.

PANTHER CAMP CREEK & SPRING CREEK

RUNNING THROUGH THE RETREAT – Delightfully, Panther Camp Creek is a native brook trout stream and flows through the heart of the retreat for about 1300’. This rocky bottom mountain stream flows year-round over boulders and ledges creating rapids, rills and small waterfalls along its journey. Interestingly, Spring Creek will sink and run underground through subterranean caverns for over a mile at different time before popping back up to the surface. For many decades, a railroad ran alongside the 25 mile length of Spring Creek, connecting to the main line of the C&O Railroad on the Greenbrier River.

20 MILE WINDING JOURNEY – Panther Camp is a tributary of Spring Creek and the Greenbrier River, with its headwaters upstream of the retreat about 4 miles at Cherry Low Place, which is between Sugartree Bench Mountain, Short Mountain, and the Yew Mountains. Panther then flows about 1 more mile below the retreat where it dumps into Spring Creek. At 25 miles in length, Spring Creek is one of Greenbrier County’s most important drainage basins.

Panther Camp Creek and Spring Creek drains tens of thousands of acres on their twisting and curving 20-mile journey through cattle and sheep farms, unbroken forests, steep mountain canyons, bottomland forests, wetlands and marshes before ending its trip at Spring Creek Station, emptying into the waters of the Greenbrier River. From there, the Greenbrier flows to the New River, to the Kanawha, onto the Ohio, then the Mississippi and terminating in the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that the waters of Panther Camp Creek will arrive in the Gulf of Mexico 3 to 4 days after entering the Greenbrier River.

CREEKSIDE WILDLIFE – There are many animals that live year round and at other times in the water and around the edges of Panther Camp Creek, including beavers, otters, minks, raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, king fishers, minnows, native trout, 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 along the creekside.

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

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 crops in each category that are currently being cultivated:

• 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)

SELF-SUSTAINING LIFE OFF THE GRID

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

• Fresh water for drinking and cooking would come from springs and drilled water wells (hand drawing water from the wells using a cylinder well bucket).
• The creek and forest would provide fresh food (fish, deer, and turkey).
• The agricultural land’s flat to rolling topography would be used to raise livestock of all kinds (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, lumber for building, basket splints, maple syrup and pounds of nuts (walnuts, beechnuts and hickory nuts).

WILDLIFE

The owner has always had management goals that promoted overall wildlife health, developed wildlife viewing areas, increased carrying capacity, and increased species diversity. Years of progressive wildlife management practices have created the ideal wildlife preserve.

Spring Creek, Panther Camp Creek, the Greenbrier River, and New River are major contributors to the local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals. Panther Camp and the surrounding aquatic plant life create a water supported community with a wide variety of wildlife. Some of the margins of the creek are fringed by wetlands, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the shore of the creek and banks downstream. The plant life associated with the wetland includes rushes, sedges, cattails, duckweed and algae.

There are many animals that live year round and at other times in the water and around the edges of Panther Camp Creek including beavers, otters, minks, raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, minnows, native fish, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskrats, bull frogs, eagles, hawks and redwing blackbirds.

There is the insect and microscopic world including butterflies, dragonflies, pond skaters, water beetles, damselflies, tadpoles and various insect larvae.

The diverse tree species, coupled with the abundant water supply from the ponds and creeks, creates the perfect wildlife habitat. The miles of “edge effect” created between farm fields, creeks, hollows, ridges, and rock outcrops benefit all the resident wildlife. Bald eagles, white tail deer, black bear, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, owls 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, maple seeds, autumn olive berries and blackberries.

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 the 2000-acre Bluestone Lake and the one million acre Monongahela National Forest.

Nature viewing is first 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the US that has two ownership titles, those being SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. A title search for mineral rights ownership has not been conducted. All rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be conducted by a title attorney at the same time when the surface title search is being conducted.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property is comprised of separate adjoining tracts of land that were individually surveyed in 1989 through 2001, and the metes and bounds descriptions from those surveys are shown in the property deeds. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

ZONING

Greenbrier County has no formal zoning in this area of the county. A countywide major and minor subdivision code is in place that all prospective buyers who wish to subdivide the property should consult with the Greenbrier Planning Commission.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property has about 1.4 acres of open area associated with the cabin, and the remaining 21.4 acres of the property is comprised of Panther Camp Creek, Panther Camp Road, and 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.)

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 466 Pg. 311 and DB 544 Pg, 95
Greenbrier County, West Virginia

Acreage: 22.79 acres +/-
Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:

Greenbrier County (13), West Virginia
Falling Springs District (4)

Tax Map 33 Parcel 11.1; 2.679 AC FROM ALEXANDER LAND ONLY; Class 3; Full Year 2020 Real Estate Taxes $183.12
Tax Map 34 Parcel 34; 20.115 A CONSOLIDATED 2 TRCTS (ALEXANDER); Class 2; Full Year 2020 Real Estate Taxes: $375.66

2020 Real Estate Taxes: $558.78

SCHOOLS

Greenbrier County School District
Public Elementary School:
Frankford Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Eastern Greenbrier Middle School

Public High School:
Greenbrier East 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)

SURROUNDING AREA

Lewisburg, which is the Greenbrier County seat, was voted the Coolest Small Town in America, combining the warmth of a close community with the sophistication of more urban locations. The thriving downtown historic district offers year-round live productions presented at the State Professional Theatre of WV, Carnegie Hall, distinctive dining venues, antique shops, award-winning galleries/boutiques, a year-round farmer’s markets.

Greenbrier Valley Medical Center is a modern hospital and all attendant medical facilities, along with the many big box stores.

The county and city host several fairs & festivals throughout the year including The WV State Fair, a professional 4-weekend Renaissance Festival, Chocolate Festival, Taste of our Town Festival (TOOT), antique car shows, Jeep Rally, Airstream Rally, WV Barn Hunt Competition, PGA Tour @ The Greenbrier Resort, and numerous fun parades.

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.

The world-renowned Greenbrier Resort, with 800 rooms and 1600 employees, is located in the sleepy little town of White Sulphur Springs. The 4-Star resort has a subterranean casino and is home to the NFL Summer Practice Event, Tennis Exhibitions (Venus Williams, John McEnroe etc.). Several other area golf courses are available in the area – including Oakhurst Links, America’s first golf course, where guests play using old style hickory-handled clubs and ground-burrowing golf balls.

A picturesque train ride from White Sulphur Springs connects the area to DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and many other locations. By car, DC is 4 hours away and Charlotte is only 4.

Within a two-hour’s drive are located some of the finest recreational facilities in West Virginia. Winterplace Ski Resort, whitewater rafting / fishing on the New River and Gauley River, 2000-acre Bluestone Lake, Pipestem State Park and Resort and the 80,000-acre New River National Gorge National Park. Five other area state parks and state forests offer unlimited hiking, horseback riding, ATV riding and rock climbing opportunities. Snowshoe Ski Resort is 90-minute drive through some of the most scenic country on the East Coast. The new 12,000-acre Boy Scout High Adventure Camp and home to the US and World Jamboree is an hour’s drive.

GREENBRIER RIVER

At 162 miles long, the Greenbrier is the longest untamed (unblocked) river left in the Eastern United States. It is primarily used for recreational pursuits and well known for its fishing, canoeing, kayaking and floating opportunities. Its upper reaches flow through the Monongahela National Forest, and it is paralleled for 77 miles by the Greenbrier River Trail, a rail trail which runs between the communities of Cass and North Caldwell.

It has always been a valuable water route, with the majority of the important cities in the watershed being established river ports. The river gives the receiving waters of the New River an estimated 30% of its water volume. Over three-fourths of the watershed is an extensive karstic (cavern system), which supports fine trout fishing, cave exploration and recreation. Many important festivals and public events are held along the river throughout the watershed.

The Greenbrier is formed at Durbin in northern Pocahontas County by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River, both of which are short streams rising at elevations exceeding 3,300 feet and flowing for their entire lengths in northern Pocahontas County. From Durbin the Greenbrier flows generally south-southwest through Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Summers Counties, past several communities including Cass, Marlinton, Hillsboro, Ronceverte, Fort Spring, Alderson, and Hinton, where it flows into the New River.

Along most of its course, the Greenbrier accommodated the celebrated Indian warpath known as the Seneca Trail (Great Indian Warpath). From the vicinity of present-day White Sulphur Springs, the Trail followed Anthony’s Creek down to the Greenbrier near the present Pocahontas-Greenbrier County line. It then ascended the River to the vicinity of Hillsboro and Droop Mountain and made its way through present Pocahontas County by way of future Marlinton, Indian Draft Run, and Edray.

GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL

The 77-mile-long Greenbrier River Trail State Park is operated by the West Virginia State Parks and is a former C&O railroad grade 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.

THE NEW RIVER AND BLUESTONE LAKE

The property is located in the heart of the recreational mecca area. 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.