Sinking Creek Mountain, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction.

[1] The site contains bogs, springs, and sag ponds created by ancient landslides, the largest slides in the eastern United States, some as long as 3 miles, with a variety of biological communities.

The Appalachian Mountains were extensively timbered in the early twentieth century leaving logging roads that are becoming overgrown but still passable.

[4] Old logging roads and railroad grades can be located by consulting the historical topographic maps available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The Sinking Creek Mountain wild area is covered by USGS topographic maps Looney, Catawba and Craig Springs.

[7] Large landslides on Sinking Creek Mountain occurred in prehistoric times, probably 10,000 to 20,000 years ago before humans settled the area.

The rule provides some degree of protection by reducing the negative environmental impact of road construction and thus promoting the conservation of roadless areas.

[1] Sinking Creek Mountain was not inventoried in the roadless area review, and therefore not protected from possible road construction and timber sales.

[2] A powerline, running north to south near the end of Earn Knob Road, bisects the area.