Isolated river gorge known as the Smokehole. Home to several unique limestone habitats. Area is under multiple land ownerships, with the USFS and TNC having the largest tracts. Across the river to the NE a large limestone cliff can be seen. There is an old jeep trail that goes from Smokehole Road to the mouth of Redman Run.;Steep lower gorge slope above the South Branch Potomac River. Plot is located roughly 10 m above the river. Open and sunny. Most of the open rock is covered with rock tripe and other lichens. There are a few ledges with woody shrubs and a few herbaceous plants. Plot was sampled from the edge and bottom due to steepness. There are several (100+ flowering tussocks of Paronychia argyrocoma in the plot. The cliff is roughly 60 m tall with 20 % ledges and no overhangs.
Representativeness
Small patch of open lichen covered sandstone glade. Similar to plots sampled midslope of North Fork Mountain and at South Branch WMA. The plot tried to maximize open Umblicate covered rock and minimize the pine shrubland. Plot was revisited the next day (
