Gunter Ridge
Gunter Ridge Trail is a 4.5 miles trail in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, Virginia. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking. It enters James River Face Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The George Washington and Jefferson National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 37.6081, -79.4808 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 37.5864, -79.4617 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.
The trail
| Length | 4.5 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 8 |
| Forest | George Washington and Jefferson National Forest (unit 0808) |
| States | Virginia |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- James River Face Wilderness WildernessFS · about 67% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Gunter Ridge Trail?
4.5 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Gunter Ridge Trail?
hiking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Gunter Ridge Trail start?
The line begins at 37.6081, -79.4808 and ends at 37.5864, -79.4617. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Gunter Ridge Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters James River Face Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Gunter Ridge Trail?
Hopper Creek Group Camp (2.6 mi), Cave Mountain Lake Group Picnic Shelter (2.6 mi) and Cave Mountain Lake Family Camp (2.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Gunter Ridge Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Gunter Ridge Trail?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Gunter Ridge Trail?
George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, Forest Service unit 0808. The trail is in Virginia.
Source: George Washington and Jefferson National Forest official page
Source
This page is built from 2 segments named GUNTER RIDGE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0808. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 18, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.