An American Chestnut On The AT

June 17, 2026

Yes, they still do exist in the wild, though it is a rare sight. This is an American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) on Hightop, along the Appalachian Trail. Notice the ocean wave edging. That is one of the key components in identification of this very special tree.

This is just a bit above me, where my mountain becomes Hightop. I like to describe it as my mountain being a bump on Hightop.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.