It is due to this difference in elevation that an unusual type of forest, containing species found in both the southern and northern United States, has developed.

The land was virgin forest until late in the nineteenth century, and some evidence of logging, including portions of the former narrow gauge railroad, can still be seen.

Laurel Bed Lake, a 330-acre (1.3 km2) reservoir, is located within the area, in addition to Big Tumbling Creek and several of its tributaries.

[2] Given the variety of landscapes which it covers, and the range in elevation found throughout the area, it is the most biologically diverse of the holdings of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

[2] Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area is open to the public for hunting, trapping, fishing, hiking, boating, and primitive camping, although some interior roads are seasonally closed.