Green Pastures Recreation Area
The reopening and dedication of the Green Pastures Recreation Area and historic signing of a Shared Stewardship agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Commonwealth of Virginia took place on Friday, September 24, 2021.
Green Pastures Recreation Area
201 Green Pasture Trail
Clifton Forge, VA 24422
540-862-8100
Green Pastures Recreation Area is within the George Washington National Forest and is open for day use. It includes hiking and biking trails, a picnic area and restrooms.
Park Guides and Map
Avenza Trail Map - Geo-referenced
Avenza Map link
Park History
Photo courtesy of the US Forest Service.
Green Pastures (Longdale) Recreation Area was built for use by African Americans during the segregation era, although it was officially integrated in 1950. The recreation area within the George Washington National Forest included a small lake with a sandy beach, a bathhouse, picnic shelter, toilet facilities, playing fields, hiking trails, walking paths, and parking areas, all built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The name of the area was changed to Longdale in 1964. Green Pastures was meant to pair with the six Virginia State Parks sites opened in 1936, including nearby Douthat State Park built by the CCC. Though not legally mandated, these Virginia State Parks sites were effectively whites-only.
An NAACP-led campaign resulted in a meeting between federal and state land-management agencies (USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Virginia State Parks, & the Virginia Department of Forestry). The USDA Forest Service agreed to host an African American recreation area. While open, Green Pastures was undoubtedly the first and only African American USDA Forest Service recreation site within Virginia and, likely, the only of its kind nationwide. It was also one of the few outdoor recreational areas open to African Americans in the central Appalachian region from the 1930s through the 1950s.
